Recommit to CEDAW

Through the support of the Canadian Government’s Global Affairs Canada (GAC), UN Women has been implementing the Regional Programme on Improving Women’s Human Rights (WHR) in South-East Asia, (CEDAW SEAP Phase II) over the period of 2011-2016. The programme aims to reduce discrimination against women in Southeast Asia. Through its partnerships and presence in Southeast Asia at regional and national levels in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam, the programme has achieved notable results on the promotion of CEDAW implementation and the protection of WHRs.

With a focus on strengthening monitoring and accountability of CEDAW, engagement with the justice sector and legislative reforms, the programme has contributed to greater understanding of CEDAW as a standard for policy outcomes, particularly in the area of access to justice for women living in plural legal contexts The programme has offered trainings to government officials across different ministries on CEDAW and integration of the CEDAW principles in the laws. The programme has worked closely with law developers in development or revision of laws which are CEDAW compliant. The programme has contributed to development of several judicial resource training materials and inclusion of women’s rights into curriculums of legal training centres. In several countries, the leading ministries developed CEDAW monitoring mechanisms and tools with support from the programme. All of this was due to and contributed to partnership building, South-south learning and exchanges. The programme worked with ASEAN Human Rights Bodies at regional level to improve women’s human rights in the region.