CEDAW Committee adopted new General Comment on Older Women

Kuala Lumpur, 22. 10. 2010 (IWRAW Asia Pacific) - The CEDAW Committee has adopted two new General Comments (General Recommendations) at its 47th Session which just ended on 22 October 2010. The Chairperson in her closing statement shared that the CEDAW Committee has adopted:
i) General Comment 27: Older Women and Protection of their Human Rights,
ii) General Comment 28: on Article 2.

The General Comment on Older Women extrapolates the multiple forms and intersectionality of discrimination experienced by older women and provides a comprehensive interpretation of State obligation in this context.

In particular it highlights the fact that the "discrimination older women experience is often multidimensional, with age discrimination, compounding other forms of discrimination based on sex, gender, ethnic origin, disability, levels of poverty, sexual orientation and gender identity, migrant status, marital and family status, literacy and other grounds." Older women who are members of minority, ethnic or indigenous groups, or who are internally displaced or stateless often experience a disproportionate degree of discrimination. The general recommendation also provides guidance to States parties on the inclusion of older women's situation in the reporting process on the Convention and points out that discrimination experienced by older women is deeply rooted in cultural and social norms.

Similarly, IWRAW Asia Pacific also sees the adoption of the General Comment on Article 2 as a paramount step forward in our collective activism on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The CEDAW Committee reaffirmed that discrimination of women is inextricably interlinked with other factors which includes sexual orientation and gender identity. In the current environment where cultural specificity and relativism, neo-liberal economic development and fundamental beliefs often undermine principles of human rights, the CEDAW Committee further emphasises that the states are obliged to "proclaim their total opposition to all forms of discrimination against women and that they should pursue their policies in this regard by all appropriate means and without delay". Most importantly the adoption of this General Comment lends support to our call to all states to withdraw reservations, in particular those on Article 2.
 

More information:

• General recommendation No. 27 on older women and protection of their human rights (official version)
• Statement from the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• Press release

Contact:

International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific)
80-B, Jalan Bangsar
59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel.: (603) 2282 2255
Fax: (603) 2283 2552
e-mail: iwraw-ap@iwraw-ap.org, iwraw_ap@yahoo.com
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