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Memorandum
Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women
through CEDAW
8 March 2007
Background to the Memorandum CEDAW Concluding Comments
Download entire memorandum in pdf format (pdf Reader required)
On March 8th 2007, the National Council of Women's Organisations (NCWO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development organised a half day seminar on "Ending Impunity for VAW through CEDAW" to commemorate International Women's Day (IWD). This is probably the first time the government has organised an event for IWD, usually preferring to recognise Malaysia's Hari Wanita or Women's Day which falls on 25th August.
The IWD seminar was gathered 500 women from non-governmental organisations (NGO) and political parties, who witnessed the handover of a Memorandum on the Concluding Comments.
A panel of speakers presented on the significance of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in the struggle to eliminate violence against women (VAW) in the Malaysian context.
Shanthi Dairiam, a CEDAW Committee member, began in her address by speaking about the importance of governments using CEDAW to end VAW. She stated that VAW remains as a worldwide challenge and emphasised that governments must harness all of their efforts to draw out a holistic plan to eliminate discrimination against women.
The other two speakers from the NGOs, namely Dr. Hamidah Karim from NCWO shared the preparatory process of NGOs in producing the CEDAW Shadow Report, and described our lobbying efforts in New York when the government of Malaysia entered into dialogue during its report to the CEDAW Committee in May 2006.
Ivy Josiah from Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) highlighted some of the CEDAW Concluding Comments with the corresponding action plans that directed the government to address violence, and in particular, violence against domestic migrant workers and refugee women.
In turn, Puan Margaret Ho from the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development informed the audience of their programmes and forthcoming law reform that are in the works.
Women's groups hope that the CEDAW Concluding Comments will act as a blue print for the National Action Plan for Women in Malaysia.
Datuk Sharizat, the Minister received the Memorandum on the Concluding Comments from, Dr Sharifah Hapsah, President of NCWO.
Background to the Memorandum CEDAW Concluding Comments:
On 24th May 2006, the Committee for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) reviewed the Government of Malaysia’s first and second report on the implementation of the CEDAW Convention at the 35th CEDAW Session in New York.
Prior to the session, the Malaysian NGO Shadow Report (see links to resources below), prepared by 28 organisations, was submitted to the CEDAW Committee as a critique to the Government Report. The report identified critical issues that continue to affect women in Malaysia, along with specific recommendations.
At the 35th CEDAW Session, the CEDAW Committee was engaged in a constructive dialogue with the delegation from the Government of Malaysia over the review of the Government Report. The NGO Shadow Report Group had also sent a delegation of six from four women’s organisations, to sit in and observe the proceedings, at the same time, taking the opportunity to engage with the CEDAW Committee during an NGO Informal Meeting and to raise critical issues affecting women in Malaysia.
As a result of the constructive dialogue with the Government of Malaysia, the CEDAW Committee produced a list of Concluding Comments to facilitate the government towards the full implementation of CEDAW in Malaysia.
Upon the return of the NGO delegation from New York, a conference titled “Towards the Full Implementation of CEDAW” was held by the NGO Shadow Report Group at Hotel Singgahsana in Petaling Jaya on 21st September 2006, to study the Concluding Comments by the CEDAW Committee and to identify actions to be proposed to the government for their undertaking towards fulfilling their obligation to implement the CEDAW Convention. This was an NGO collaborative effort in identifying specific actions, which correspond to the concerns raised and recommendations made by the CEDAW Committee.
This Memorandum contains the Concluding Comments and Recommendations issued by the CEDAW Committee, and actions proposed by civil society groups for the Government to undertake to fully implement its CEDAW obligations.
The following is a list of the organisations involved in the process of preparing this memorandum; Women’s Aid Organisation was responsible for collating the information on proposed actions and writing up this memorandum:
• National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO)
• All Women’s Action Society (AWAM)
• Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)
• Empower (Pusat Janadaya)
• Federation of Family Planning Associations (FFPAM)
• Sisters in Islam (SIS)
• Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)
• Women’s Development Collective (WDC)
• Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA)
more: Download entire memorandum in pdf format (pdf Reader required)
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