NCWNZ led the creation of a collaborative report from sixteen Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to the United Nations (UN) and submitted in September 2024. This report presented an alternate set of data to the Government’s response on New Zealand’s implementation of our requirements for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
CEDAW, adopted by the UN in 1979, requires countries who sign this UN human rights treaty to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in all areas. New Zealand ratified this treaty in 1985.
"CEDAW Demystified: State Obligation," 3-minute video by
International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
In April 2024, a delegation of New Zealand was led by Mr. Paul Goldsmith, Minister of Justice, to present the periodic review report to the UN at the 46th Session of Universal Periodic Review. You can see the video of this archived on the UN Web TV channel at https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1a/k1apcm8lnl. If you haven't seen the UN's recommendations to New Zealand, it can be quite startling to read: https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/017/92/pdf/g2401792.pdf. The nation's report penned by the coalition government deserved an alternative point of view.
Contributors to this alternate report were:
- Community Law Centres o Aotearoa
- E Tū – Stand Tall Union
- Graduate Women New Zealand | Whakaminenga Wahine o Aotearoa kua whiwhi Tohu
- National Council of Women of New Zealand | Te Kaunihera Wahine o Aotearoa
- New Zealand Council of Trade Unions – Te Kauae Kaimahi
- New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women
- New Zealand Nurses Organisation – Toputanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa
- New Zealand Public Service Association – Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi
- New Zealand Educational Institute | Te Riu Roa
- NZPC (New Zealand Prostitutes Collective) | Te Waka Kaimahi Kairau o Aotearoa | New Zealand Sex Workers' Collective
- Peace Movement Aotearoa
- Rural Women New Zealand
- The Salvation Army
- Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa
- Wellington Indian Association
- YWCA Aotearoa
“In coordinating this report with other organisations, there was a clear finding that New Zealand’s Government has failed to implement the UN’s call for gender mainstreaming. As the first nation in the world to empower all women with the right to vote, this outcome is a profound disappointment. NGOs are telling us they are concerned about persistent inequality and our lack of progress in areas like poverty, gender-based violence, and pay gaps in Aotearoa,” said Dr Suzanne Manning, President of NCWNZ.
Dellwyn Stuart, CEO for YWCA, will be representing the NCWNZ alternative report at Geneva in the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
See the NCWNZ News press release at:
https://www.ncwnz.org.nz/cedaw_report_finds_minimal_progress_on_equality
Download the report (.pdf file) for yourself here:
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/ncwnz/pages/1469/attachments/original/1726046037/Women_experiencing_discrimination_final.pdf?1726046037