Time for Action: Implementing CEDAW in Southeast Asia

Committee has therefore urged governments to undertake
constitutional reform that entrenches women’s rights in their
national systems, by including explicit guarantees of equality
for men and women, and a definition of discrimination against
women in accordance with Article 1 of the Convention. In two
countries in Southeast Asia, Thailand and Timor-Leste, gender
activists have seized opportunities within the constitutional
process to push for stronger gender equality provisions and
guarantees for women, using CEDAW as a important reference
point.
Creating new laws to advance women’s rights
A number of new laws to advance women’s human rights have
been enacted in several countries, many of which reference
CEDAW principles or respond to recommendations from the
CEDAW Committee. These laws include overarching legislation
or bills on gender equality; local and national legislation to
improve women’s participation in decision-making, particularly
in electoral and political processes; and anti-violence and antitrafficking
laws. They represent concrete, good practice actions
by governments to increase protections for women, recognize
their legal rights and strengthen the legislative climate for
gender equality.
Ensuring public knowledge about laws
The responsibility of the State is not only to enact or amend
laws and ensure they are enforced through the justice system,
but also to ensure that all citizens understand these laws
and how they are applied. Many women, especially those
living in marginalized communities, have a poor awareness
of the existence of laws that protect and advance women’s
rights, and a limited understanding about the very concept of
gender equality itself, and what this means in terms of rights.
Government and NGO approaches have been using CEDAW’s
rights-based framework to publicize the content and purpose
of such laws and to introduce the concept of women’s rights
and the notions of respect and dignity of all individuals, male
or female. Because it places obligations on States, it is often
referred to as another law that women have at their disposal to
reinforce their right to non-discrimination and gender equality.
Reviewing existing laws for discrimination
One innovative approach that NGOs are taking to strengthen
their advocacy efforts is to conduct reviews of existing
legislation for discriminatory provisions that contradict
CEDAW principles. These reviews are being used to generate
Time For Action
Implementing CEDAW in Southeast Asia
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