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International Bulletin - August 2002

Fiji Reports Progress with CEDAW

PPSEAWA Fiji forwarded this report. The Minister of Women's Affairs, Livinia Padarath, lead a small delegation to the U.N. in New York to present the first Pacific national report under the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Fiji stood alongside Estonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Iceland, Sri Lanka and Portugal at the opening session of CEDAW on January 14th. Up until that time no Pacific country which had ratified CEDAW had filed its initial report. It's been 10 years since Samoa lead the way to ratify CEDAW in 1992. Fiji, PNG and Vanuatu followed in 1995 and Tuvalu in 1999. The cook Islands, New Caladonia, Niue, French Polynesia, Tokelau and Wallis and Futuna have all ratified through New Zealand or France.

Delegates at a recent workshop reported that it is an awsome task to compile the various legislation and legal issues of a nation in preparation for reporting for CEDAW. The 16 articles of CEDAW cover wide ranging areas such as end to discrimination, sex roles and stereotypes, women in public life and politics, cultural rights and education issues, Issues of job rights, health care and family planning and rural women. A team of volunteers then review the support for or issues blocking the country's route to full human rights for women. The initial report from Fiji's NGO sector is a 67 page document. There will be considerable work to do as the process continues.

Last Modified: November 29, 2002