CEDAW in Canada Ellen Blahitka

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women Facts about CEDAW in Canada Canada Signed CEDAW on July 17, 1980 Canada Ratified it on December 10, 1981 Canada accepted and ratified the optional protocols on October 18, 2002 Individual Complaints Procedure Inquiry Procedure District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017

District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women So what has been accomplished since then? According to the UN, not much Decades of regressive legislative changes and budget cuts have substantially eroded women’s rights under CEDAW in Canada. Since 1995 Canada has fallen from 1st to 25th place on the UN Gender Inequality Index. District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017

District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women In March of 2015 the United Nations issued a report based on a confidential inquiry into allegations by Canadian NGOs that Aboriginal women in Canada faced grave and systemic violations of their rights. The Canadian Government fully co-operated with the committee conducting the inquiry. District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017

District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women Their finding was: Canada has committed a “grave violation” of the rights of Aboriginal women by failing to promptly and thoroughly investigate the high levels of violence they suffer, including disappearances and murders. CEDAW made 38 recommendations for action including the establishment of an independent national inquiry into the cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls, and the development of a national plan of action to address all forms of violence against Aboriginal women. District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017

District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women Canada disagreed with CEDAW’s finding that there have been “grave violations” of rights. It did, however, accept 34 of the Committee’s recommendations, although not the call for a national inquiry and plan of action. District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017

District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women In October 2016 Canada’s record of women’s equality was again under the spotlight at the United Nations in Geneva. They were hopeful that the new Canadian Government would take action and cited many recommentations for improvement. District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017

What is happening with CEDAW at the Provincial level? Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women What is happening with CEDAW at the Provincial level? In Ontario, the Human Rights Commission is mandated to promote and protect human rights in Ontario. In February, 2017 the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner, Ranu Mandhane, wrote to the newly appointed Ontario Minister of Women’s Issues, Indira Naidoo-Harris, citing the recommendations that the CEDAW had just released and offering assistance in working together to implement them. District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017

District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women The Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women will be meeting in Geneva in November 2017 and we wait to hear their update. District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017

District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women Questions? District 4 Conference September 22nd to 24th, 2017