INTERNATIONAL: Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women Meets with Non-Governmental Organizations

Discusses Situation of the Rights of Women in Israel, Kenya, Lichtenstein and South Africa.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women this afternoon met with non-governmental organizations to discuss the situation of the rights of women in Israel, Kenya, Lichtenstein and South Africa. As part of its work, the Committee invites non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions to provide information and documentation relevant to the Committee's activities. This is the first of two meetings that will take place with civil society groups; the second meeting will take place on Monday, 24 January when the Committee will hear relevant information pertaining to the rights of women in Bangladesh, Belarus and Sri Lanka.

Representatives of non-governmental organizations in Israel noted that women migrant workers who worked as caregivers were often employed in working situations based on domination and exploitation that could deteriorate into trafficking and other forms of exploitation. These workers were also excluded from labour law protections afforded to other workers and they often lived with their abusive employers so they risked becoming homeless if they complained. It was also noted that women were often discriminated against in terms of family law in Israel and Palestinian women were often reluctant to report cases of gender based violence because of a lack of trust of police officials; thus many of these cases went unreported and were not prosecuted.

Representatives of non-governmental organizations from Kenya said that women and girls in slums and informal settlements lived under the constant threat of sexual violence, largely because there was a lack of sanitary conditions in these areas and women were exposed to violence when they went to the latrine. The Government had not systematically addressed these issues, nor had it addressed inequality and gender discrimination in land and housing practices. Inheritance and land distribution in rural areas were often governed by traditional practices and customary biases against women, especially in rural areas. It was also noted that the Kenyan Government was taking far too long to pass and implement critical laws to protect the rights of women such as the Equality Bill and the Family Protection Bill, among others. Poor participation by women in public life and post election violence were also of great concern.

Representatives of non-governmental organizations from Lichtenstein highlighted the topic of domestic violence in Liechtenstein, where crimes committed in conjunction with domestic violence were not always prosecuted and it remained a problem that had to be taken seriously. Under current law violent acts such as bodily injury and suppression of documents were only prosecuted if the victim pressed charges, but many victims were reluctant or afraid to do so, especially in a small country such as Liechtenstein, so these crimes often went unprosecuted. Women thus became trapped in their violent relationships, and this was particularly true for immigrant women, who under the new foreigners' law could lose their residency status if they left the marital home before five years had passed.

Representatives of non-governmental organizations from South Africa said that a dual system of customary and civil law created contradictions that were discriminatory toward women, including polygamy. Customary laws promoted harmful cultural practices including forced marriages, child marriages and abduction of young women into arranged marriages. This affected all women who married under customary law, but had greater negative impacts on rural women. The most pervasive form of violence against women in South Africa was domestic violence and women often remained in abusive relationships because of financial dependence on men. Violence against lesbians and transgendered women was on the rise, and the killing of women had increased.

Speaking during the discussion were representatives from the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling, Kav LaOved, the Working Group on the Status of Palestinian Women in Israel, the Ruth and Emmanuel Rackman Centre for the Advancement of the Status of Women, Amnesty International, Franciscans International, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, the Economic and Social Rights Centre, the Committee for Gender and Diversity at the University of Liechtenstein and the Masimanyane Women's Support Centre.

When the Committee reconvenes on Tuesday, 18 January at 10 a.m., it is scheduled to begin consideration of the fourth and fifth periodic reports of Israel (CEDAW/C/ISR/4-5).

See attached PDF for full report.