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1 Shadow Reports
What is a Shadow Report?
The UN encourages non-governmental groups to submit CEDAW Shadow Reports. They hope to get a more comprehensive picture of the lives and status of women in each country, free of government bias. The report documents the opinions, research, and recommendations of non-government organisations. Thus far, AWARE has submitted the following shadow reports, organised by the CEDAW sub-commitee.
Read AWARE’s Shadow Reports for the 88th CEDAW Session (2024):
Read the NGO coalition’s Shadow Report for the 68th CEDAW Session (2017):
Read AWARE’s Shadow Report for the 49th CEDAW Session (2011):
Or read individual chapters of AWARE’s Shadow Report for the 49th CEDAW Session (2011):
- Articles 1 – 4: The definition of discrimination
- Article 2: The State’s duties to uphold CEDAW
- Article 4: Immediate steps to ensure equality
- Article 5: Sex Role Stereotyping and Prejudice
- Article 6: Suppress trafficking of women
- Article 7: Political and public life
- Article 9: Nationality
- Article 11: Employment
- Article 12: Healthcare
- Article 13: Economic and Social Benefits
- Article 16: Marriage and Family Life
- General Recommendations 19: Violence Against Women
Read AWARE’s CEDAW Shadow Report for the 39th CEDAW Session (2007):
Read AWARE’s Shadow Report for the 25th CEDAW Session (2001):
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2 About the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
CEDAW defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. It provides the basis for ensuring women have equal access to and opportunities in the realms of political and public life, education, health and employment. It is also the only human rights treaty which affirms the reproductive rights of women.
The convention was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly and it is often described as an international Bill of Rights for women. In signing CEDAW, governments commit to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women. Every four years, signatories are required to send a report to the UN CEDAW Committee describing the steps they have taken to comply with the convention. Singapore ratified the CEDAW convention in October 1995 and has submitted three reports since then. As of 2011, 187 governments have ratified CEDAW.
After receiving each country’s official report and Shadow Reports, the UN CEDAW Committee submits Concluding Observations to each country. These comments contains the Committee’s principal areas of concern and its recommendations of measures the State should take to ensure the non-discrimination of women in the country.
In its comments to the Singapore government in 2007, the UN expressed concern about “the persistence of patriarchal attitudes and deep-rooted stereotypes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women and men within the family and society at large.” The comments continue, “These stereotypes present a significant obstacle to the implementation of the Convention, are a root cause of violence against women in the private and public spheres, put women in a disadvantaged position in a number of areas, including in the labour market, and limit their access to leadership positions in the political and public life.”
Get 2011 CEDAW updates:
- Our take on UN’s Concluding Observations
- Joint statement on CEDAW from 4 S’pore NGOs
- UN assesses S’pore’s compliance with CEDAW
- AWARE’s fruitful week at the United Nations
- Singapore government’s CEDAW delegation reports to the UN
- Our CEDAW team speaks at the United Nations
Learn more about CEDAW in Singapore:
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