CIDA pledges $6.6 million to strengthen CEDAW in Southeast Asia - 10 March 2003

United Nations, Bangkok - The Honourable Susan Whelan, Minister for International Cooperation, yesterday announced that Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), will contribute US$6.6 million to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), to help governments in seven countries in Southeast Asia promote and protect women's rights.

"Discrimination against women, especially violence against women, remains a global challenge," Minister Whelan said. "Canada's support to governments in Southeast Asia as they address women's rights and equality will help to empower women in the region."
 

With CIDA's support, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and other UN partners will work with governments and civil society organizations in Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam so that they strengthen their implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and enhance their ability to report to the CEDAW Committee.
 

Adopted by the United Nations in December 1979, the Convention is often described as an international Bill of Rights for women. It is the principal legal instrument that defines what constitutes discrimination against women, setting out an agenda for national action to end it. The Convention's norms and standards cover rights to basic education, basic healthcare and employment. It has been ratified by 170 countries.
 

This initiative will help raise awareness of women's human rights and understanding of the Convention by states and civil society groups; build the capacity of government and civil society organizations to address women's human rights; and strengthen political will and commitment to CEDAW. The CEDAW program will be administered by UNIFEM’s East and Southeast Asia Regional Office (ESEARO) in Bangkok. The program will provide a new framework for ESEARO’s existing efforts to promote women’s human rights and eliminate violence against women.
 

Canada's contribution is the largest pledge to UNIFEM to date for efforts to support CEDAW implementation. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of UNIFEM, expressed her pleasure at this timely announcement just two days before International Women's Day. "This news comes at a significant time. Canada has always shown a deep commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment. Their support for an integrated programme to strengthen CEDAW implementation underscores this commitment and signals a true dedication to women s human rights," she said.

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