International Issues

Australia now accedes to the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (adopted by other nations in 2000).

March 2012. Australia has presented its country statement at the 56th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, in the lead-up to International Women’s Day, 2012.

The Minister for the Status of Women, Ms Julie Collins, said the Australian Government has sent a distinguished delegation to the Commission, where it is also hosting three events focusing on the needs of rural women and rural women with disabilities. “The commission is the leading international event addressing gender inequality and comes at a time when the Australian Government has introduced legislation to improve gender equality in the workplace,” Ms Collins said. “This event gives Australia the opportunity to highlight our successes in promoting equality between women and men – as well as to consider what more needs to be done to create a more equal society.”

On 24 February 2011, Kate Ellis, Federal Minister for the Status of Women, delivered Australia’s Country Statement to the UN Commission on the Status of Women New York City, wherein she outlined Australia’s position on women as well as what Australia is doing for women. Click to read the speech.

November 2008 - This has now been adopted by the ALP Government. The Australian Government launched the Australian Government CEDAW Report to the United Nations on December 18, 2008. The Australian Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek and Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick affirmed Australia's commitment, across all levels of government, to end discrimination against women. CLICK here to see WEL's letter of congratulation to Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Housing, Minister for the Status of Women.

The Australian Government launched the Australian Government CEDAW Report to the United Nations on December 18, 2008. The Australian Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek and Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick affirmed Australia's commitment, across all levels of government, to end discrimination against women. to see WEL's letter of congratulation to Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Housing, Minister for the Status of Women.

Government outlines gender equality plan to UN Commission on the Status of Women... March 2009.

THE Federal Government has outlined its pursuit of greater gender equality at a key United Nations meeting.

Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, has delivered Australia's country statement to the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Ms Plibersek outlined Australia's pursuit of three priority areas for advancing gender equality: improving women's economic prosperity and financial independence, ensuring women's voices are heard at all levels of decision making and reducing violence against women.

The UN Commission on the Status of Women is the principal global policy-making body dedicated to promoting the advancement of women. Representatives of over 190 countries gathered for the annual meeting.

Chinese Delegation - March 2011.

Representatives of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China requested to meet with WEL members recently for the purpose of learning about our organisation and how we lobby governments, under the China-Australia Human Rights Technical Cooperation (HRTC) Program. We met with this group, which included several women, on March 30 and spent a pleasant couple of hours outlinng WEL's achievements with the help of an interpreter.

Kerry Lovering introduced our five delegates and spoke about the achievements of WEL. She stressed that we are not funded by governments. It was clear that all Non Government Organisations in China are registered and it seems only deal with social welfare issues.

Priscilla Todd spoke about our international connections and we asked and found that China is not a member of the International Association of Women. Eve Mahlab asked about paid maternity leave and then spoke about how wealthy women, of whom there are many in China, are now helping poorer women to establish businesses. Fern Smith explained that our pictures and posters can tell the message often more effectively than words. It was interesting that our postcard about "women still in the red" would mean a good thing in China where red is good! Mary Owen spoke about her involvement in the Working Women's Centre and how it influenced the Trade Unions, which in China are all Government organised. Over coffee, Barbara Cameron explained how women are involved in our website.

A very interesting meeting overall. Click to see the photo.

International Alliance of Women (IAW) - June 2006.

Lobbying by women's groups throughout the world about the gender mainstreaming has resulted in the International Criminal Court issuing Red Notices on the first of June 2006, for the arrest of five individuals for multiple counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes including murder, abduction, sexual crimes, rape and child conscription in Uganda, Sudan and the Congo. In spite of various criticisms the ICC is an historic institution in terms of women’s rights. For the first time in international law, the Rome Treaty establishing the ICC recognised sexual and gender violence as crimes against humanity. Sexual and gender crimes are defined by the Treaty to include rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilisation, and other sexual violence.

IAW News Flash in July 2006 calls for an end to violence in the Middle East. CLICK here for details

What is IAW and how is WEL involved? CLICK here for more information.

The meetings of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held in New York in February 2005 and the agenda for the next meeting in 2006 are summarised in the attached Word documents.

Suzette Mitchell, the Executive Director of the International Women's Development Agency, liased with members of the Australian Non Government Organisations (NGO). She reports bluntly what the official reports only imply.

"UN process has never been an easy one for women. We never expected fast, radical or easy change, but I certainly hadn't expected it would be so jolly hard just to hold onto the basic rights that were enshrined in the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA) a decade earlier. The US Delegation began the CSW session with reservations about reaffirming the PFA that had become a guidebook on the status of women's needs and concerns. I had expected to talk with others on exciting strategies for the future - instead we found ourselves arguing and lobbying to protect the past." CLICK to see her full report.

The report from Dr.Geulah Solomon, National Council of Jewish Women of Australia, also details her disappointment at the frustrations at this meeting. CLICK here for her report.

To see the interesting report from Tammy Williams, the Aboriginal barrister who was part of the official delegation CLICK here. To see the official report for the Australian Delegation CLICK here.

The agenda for CSW in 2006 has been circulated by the Office of Women in Canberra and states that 2006 will focus on the two critical areas: Enhanced participation of women and development: an enabling environment for achieving gender equality and the advancement of women, taking into account, inter alia, the fields of education, health and work. Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels.

Other International Issues have been brought to our attention by reports from the International Alliance of Women (IAW)

The UNESCO Executive Board at its 173rd Session in October 2005 has proposed the establishment of the International Centre for Girls' and Women's Education in Africa under the auspices of UNESCO, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The General Conference, at its 33rd Session should approve the establishment and authorize the Director-General to sign the agreement (which is already formulated) between the Government of Burkino Faso and UNESCO.
In an EU Statement on HIV prevention for an aids free generation, the members of the European Union reaffirm their commitment to tackle all the global aspects of AIDS pandemic. The statement pointed to the fact that some people, in particular women and girls, are disproportionately affected. To be successful, HIV prevention must utilize all approaches known to be effective including universal access to sexual and reproductive health information and services for women, men and young people, including people living with HIV and AIDS, to ensure that they have reliable access to essential sexual and reproductive health commodities including male and female condoms.
Gels to protect women from AIDS.
A new microbicide against HIV is being tested by women in Africa. The tests are part of a trial with 10,000 women across Africa. Microbicides are virus-killing gels applied vaginally before sex. They are seen by many AIDS experts as a key to stopping new infections. This could offer women an HIV-prevention method that they control, and one they do not have to inform their partners about. Convenor of the IAW Health Commission: Gudrun Haupter.
UN - Legal ruling on abortion
The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) decided its first abortion case, Karen Llontoy v. Peru. The decision establishes that denying access to legal abortion violates women's most basic human rights. This is the first time an international human rights body has held a government accountable for failing to ensure access to legal abortion.
LOBBYING -- It's Time for a Woman to be the next United Nations Secretary-General: 1945-2006: 3 Europeans, 2 Africans, 1 Latin American, 1 Asian, 0 Women. The International Herald Tribune published an article on 7 September 2006 announcing the creation of an all-woman peacekeeping force. 125 Indian policewomen are being trained to form an all-women team of United Nations peacekeepers - the U.N.'s first such peacekeeping group - to help bring order to strife-torn Liberia, a West African nation rebuilding after nearly a quarter-century of conflict. India has been a major contributor to U.N. peacekeeping missions for decades, and has sent women as part of earlier contingents. But Indian officials felt it was time for a woman-only unit, picking candidates from the country's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force. The unit expects to deploy to Liberia by mid-October. For more information on why women make such good peacekeepers CLICK here.
Women and girls face abuse of basic human rights.
Minor rape count shoots up.
New Delhi, Dec. 14: Madhya Pradesh, where women have had their hands chopped off for reporting rape or protesting against child marriage, is the most unsafe place in India even for minor girls. Delhi, dubbed the nation's rape capital, isn't far behind.
IAW Ed:- It is sad that a country like India, with its proud history and its now amazing commercial growth as one of the emerging world super powers, still has many areas and beliefs that continue to allow women and girls to face such injustices.
Pat Richardson outlines her long involvement with the International Alliance of Women. To read her speech to the Zonta Club on 16 June 2010 CLICK here.
There is an increasing use of rape and other sexual violence as weapons of war. The Democratic Republic of Congo is now the rape capital of the world with estimates of more than 8000 rapes during the last year.

Three Iranian feminists have been arrested and imprisoned. CLICK here to read the story.

South American Defence now including women. CLICK here to read the Associated Press article.

Fijian women are being abused. CLICK here for details from Australian Federation of University Women.