UK Demonstrates Progress on Eliminating Discrimination Against
Women
Monday 13th June 2011
Key government achievements in advancing
gender equality and eliminating discrimination against women were
highlighted in a new report to the UN today.
The UK’s 7th periodic report sets out the
progress the government has made on women’s rights under the United
Nation’s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Home Secretary and Minister for Women and
Equalities Theresa May said:
“The government is committed to equality for
women and despite progress over recent decades, there is still a
long way to go.
“That is why the government is taking action
to tackle the inequalities that women face in all aspects of their
lives. From plans to tackle the gender pay gap with more rights to
flexible working and a new system of flexible parental leave, to
work to tackle violence against women, we are determined that the
next generation of women and girls will have more opportunities
than ever before.”
The UK’s report to CEDAW sets out the government’s
overarching approach to advancing gender equality and our
determination to eliminate discrimination through the first ever
cross-government equality strategy, ‘Building a Fairer Britain’,
published in December last year.
In particular, the report highlights the
government’s ambition to end violence against women and girls both
domestically and internationally. The report also explains the
changes introduced by the Equality Act 2010 in Great Britain which
brought together nine separate pieces of legislation into one
single Act simplifying the law and reducing the administrative
burden on business by making it easier to comply with
discrimination law.
Notes to
Editors
1. The Government published the UK’s
7th periodic progress report to the CEDAW Committee
today on the Government Equalities Office website for the first
time.
http://www.equalities.gov.uk/publications_and_research/flexible_working_research.aspx
2. CEDAW is an international Convention
adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, one of the
nine core international human rights Conventions. CEDAW provides a
framework and mechanism for women’s organisations to challenge
countries on their record in eliminating discrimination.
Further information on CEDAW can be accessed here http://www.equalities.gov.uk/international/united_nations.aspx.
3. The submission of the periodic
report is usually followed by an in depth one-day oral examination
by the UN’s CEDAW Committee. This is expected to take place
during the early part 2013 in Geneva. NGOs can submit their shadow
reports anytime from now up until 2 weeks before the examination
date.