The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty, ratified by New Zealand in 1985.
Governments of countries that have ratified CEDAW are obliged to submit periodic reports to the CEDAW monitoring committee, outlining their progress in meeting their obligations under the convention. The New Zealand Government presented its most recent report at the Committee’s 70th session in Geneva in July 2018.
At this session, the Non-Governmental Organisations presented alternative reports were presented, one report of which was co-ordinated by NCWNZ. We established Lead Working Groups to monitor and report on the actions by the Government to redress the key areas of concern identified and recommendations made by the Monitoring Committee.
These reports strengthen the CEDAW Monitoring Committee’s capacity to identify gaps and draw accountability from the Government. The last report covers the period from 2012 – 2016.
When the NZ Government presented their report in 2018, the Monitoring Committee issued a list of Concluding Observations which requires Government action.
Key reports from NCWNZ
- CEDAW NZ Alternate NGO Report – Women Experiencing Discrimination 2016, by NCWNZ
- Addendum: a response to List of issues and questions
- Fact sheet: Kristine Bartlett Case
Get Involved
We are keen to hear from any other groups or individuals who would like to be part of the CEDAW Alternate Report process in the future.
Additional material will need to be prepared to inform the CEDAW Monitoring Committee of changes since the end of the 30 June 2016 reporting period. If you would like to join one or more of the working groups, please email us at [email protected].
