It was an honour to attend Aotearoa’s CEDAW review in Geneva on behalf of NCWNZ. 

It was a long stretch between reviews with COVID and a lack of funds making the UN reflect on how it does things.  But the CEDAW Committee of elected experts in gender matters was alive and fiery and brought impressive understanding of New Zealand to their questions.

In the first week I attended the International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Global to Local training alongside P.A.C.I.F.IC.A. President Repeka Lelaulu, Caroline Herewini of Women’s Homelessness Coalition and Dr Rogena Sterling representing Pacific Women’s Watch (PWW). This training gave us a good overview of CEDAW and how the process works. However, the real benefit was getting to know fellow attendees from Aotearoa and figuring out our rhythm for the week ahead.

(left to right): Repeka Lelaulu (P.A.C.I.F.IC.A.), Dr Rogena Sterling (PWW), Ana Peláez Narváez (Chair, CEDAW Committee), Dellwyn Stuart (YWCA), Caroline Herewini (Women’s Homelessness Coalition)

For our ten-minute oral statement, we opted not to play the videos that others had kindly provided.  Instead, we reviewed the video scripts and incorporated the key points into our two minutes each.  We weren’t convinced the videos would work – no one else used them.  Lots of questions meant our one anticipated free day – Day Two - was spent huddled together getting the answers to the Committee.

Day Three was our private lunch with members of the Committee.  This was well attended and there were lots more questions and written responses to prepare.  Our goal was to ensure the Committee would ask the questions of the Government that we wanted to see answered by them.

Then Day Four, we could breathe out and watch the Government be questioned for five hours. All our priority points were picked up and we look forward to seeing them come through in the report. 

It was an exhausting process, like taking an exam every day!  Now we wait for the report (the Concluding Observations).

While away, the kiwi NGOs discussed how we could shape the Ministry for Women’s International Women’s Caucus differently to ensure that the NGOs are in the driving seat and continue to hold government to task on the report outcomes.  We think the travelling NGO reps would benefit from a bit more structure at home, leading up to attending CEDAW.  The challenge is the long gap between reviews, and it looks like they will move to an eight-year cycle!  We are also keen to make CEDAW more visible – some media attention at key milestones.

Next May the Committee is trialling travelling to a region – the Pacific in this instance- to conduct the reviews of the countries in that region.  This will be a first for them.  It will be held in Fiji and is an attempt to decrease the cost for the countries involved.  It would be good to have someone from Aotearoa attend and observe as it will give us great insight into what’s happening for women in our neighbourhood.

Dellwyn Stuart
YWCA, representing NCWNZ coordinated report

NGO representatives

• Repeka Lelaulu (P.A.C.I.F.IC.A.)
• Rogena Sterling (PWW)
• Dellwyn Stuart (YWCA)
• Caroline Herewini (Women’s Homelessness Coalition)
• Shasha Ali (Shakti)
• Ma Tin
• Carolyn Savage (BPWNZ)

Human Rights Commission representatives

• Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo
• Brittany Peck

Government representatives

• Kellie Coombes, Chief Executive Ministry for Women
• Anna MacDonald, Policy Manager, Ministry for Women
• Emma Powell, Chief Executive of the Interdepartmental Executive Board for the Elimination of Family and Sexual Violence
• Paula Rawiri, Deputy Secretary Policy at Te Puni Kōkiri
• Nathan Glassey, Deputy Permanent Representative (UN)

UN Web TV

• Informal meeting with non-governmental organizations and human rights institutions
• Consideration of New Zealand
• Consideration of New Zealand (continued)

To read more articles from The Circular (September-October 2024) issue 649, click on the tag below.