Translated and edited by: Committee for Justice
Geneva: November 16, 2021
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) issued on Monday its findings and recommendations regarding Egypt, South Sudan and Yemen.
The Committee’s findings contained positive aspects of each country’s implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as the Committee’s main concerns and recommendations.
Egypt’s findings and recommendations:
The UN committee called on the Egyptian authorities to accelerate the process of repealing all provisions of its legislation that discriminate against women and girls.
It also urged the State party to respect its obligations under international human rights treaties to protect the rights of women human rights defenders, and to systematically investigate cases of reprisals and harassment against them, including gender-based violence and ill-treatment while in detention.
South Sudan findings and recommendations:
The commission noted that corruption in the extraction of oil and gas in southern Sudan leads to significant losses in revenue that could have been used for public services for women.
The Committee recommended that the Government of Southern Sudan allocate a sufficient proportion of proceeds from the exploitation of all natural resources for programs to empower women and girls. The Committee also urged the State party to ensure that transitional justice processes effectively address the consequences of the conflict on women and girls.
Yemen findings and recommendations:
In Yemen, the committee stated that women’s rights in Yemen have declined since the outbreak of the conflict in 2014.
The Committee urged Yemen to cooperate fully with the United Nations to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout the country, and requested the State party to ensure the meaningful and inclusive participation of women from diverse backgrounds in all stages of the peace process.
