International Women’s Day is a time to renew our commitment to equality between women and men as a fundamental human right issue
"International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, the challenges outstanding and to renew our commitment to equality between women and men as a fundamental human rights issue" stated the President of the Human Rights Commission, Dr. Maurice Manning, in a statement to mark International Women’s Day, 8th March.
The Charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco in 1945, was the first international agreement to proclaim the equal rights of men and women. The adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1979 gave further development to the Charter. The Convention was adopted by Ireland in 1985. In accordance with its commitment to the Convention, Ireland submitted its 4th and 5th Periodic Reports to the CEDAW Monitoring Committee last July. The Reports will be examined by the Monitoring Committee in 2005.
The Human Rights Commission recognises the importance of international human rights standards in promoting women’s equality and in the elimination of discrimination. In this context, it has made the preparation of its own Shadow Report on CEDAW a priority area of work for 2004. The Commission have selected the following areas for inclusion in the Report:
• Review of the Irish Constitution from a gender perspective;
• Examination of Ireland’s method of monitoring progress, in particular development of gender equality indicators to monitor progress;
• Review of the impact of selected aspects of domestic policy and legislation with regard to women’s discrimination and promotion of women’s rights in the following areas: women and poverty; women and disability; migrant women and women of racial and ethnic minorities; and older women.
The Commission will hold a public meeting on Gender and Related Issues in Limerick on 22nd April. The main item for discussion will be CEDAW and in particular Ireland’s Report and the Commission’s own Shadow Report. The President of the Commission, Dr. Maurice Manning and Commissioners Olive Braiden, Dr. Katherine Zappone and Michael Farrell will attend as will Dr. Beate Schoepp-Schilling, a member of the UN CEDAW Monitoring Committee.
A spokesperson for the Commission is available for comment.
For further information, please contact:
Mary Ruddy,
Senior Human Rights Awareness Officer
Tel. 01 8589601
Mobile: 087 6407765
E-mail: mruddy@ihrc.ie