Monday 22 October 2012

Our Government must be held accountable: WRC speaking to UN CEDAW Committee about women’s rights in the UK



 

Our Government must be held accountable: WRC speaking to UN CEDAW Committee about women’s rights in the UK

Charlotte, Policy Officer for Women’s Resource Centre, will today join a small group of women from the UK in Geneva to address the United Nations (UN) Committee of the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). These women are addressing the problems impacted on women’s equality in the UK, detailed what our government must be held accountable for by the UN. Women from the UK will get the rare opportunity to share with the UN the key issues they face, drawing attention to the UK government and their progress on women’s rights.

On behalf of the CEDAW Working Group, Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) will deliver a presentation highlighting how women’s rights in the UK have come to a standstill and in some cases, positive policy changes are being reversed and women’s rights reduced.

The UK record on women’s rights will continue to be the focus internationally as the UK government must report to CEDAW on their progress since they were last examined by the UN Committee in 2008; this will take place in July 2013. How will the government explain the reversal of women’s right in the UK? These inequalities exist when the UK is suppose to set an example for other countries through their international work.

 “The Government must face up to their international obligations under CEDAW to protect and advance the rights of women in the UK. It is unacceptable for the UK to be reversing women’s rights and austerity cannot be an excuse - the legacy of these changes will be felt for generations so we must ensure that the UN holds them to account and they do not continue to roll back women’s rights in the UK,” says Vivienne Hayes, Chief Executive of the Women’s Resource Centre.

WRC will also be present at the UK Feminista lobby of Parliament on 24th October.

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