UN Committee to Review Sri Lanka’s Progress on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality – Sri Lanka Guardian

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is set to conduct its next session from February 3 to 21, 2025, where it will review the status of women’s rights in Sri Lanka, along with seven other countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal, Belarus, Luxembourg, Belize, Congo, and Liechtenstein.

As part of its regular monitoring process, CEDAW assesses the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The 189 countries that are parties to this Convention must undergo periodic reviews by the Committee, which is composed of 23 independent international experts. These experts evaluate each country’s progress in addressing gender inequality, based on reports submitted by governments, as well as submissions from national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders.

Sri Lanka’s review is expected to focus on the government’s efforts to address ongoing challenges related to gender equality and women’s rights. The country has faced significant social and economic challenges, and the CEDAW session will provide an opportunity to assess how Sri Lanka is fulfilling its obligations under the Convention, including tackling issues such as gender-based violence, economic participation, and access to justice for women.

Public meetings during the session will allow for in-depth discussions on the status of women’s rights in Sri Lanka and the other seven countries under review. These discussions are critical for ensuring accountability and identifying areas where further progress is needed to eliminate discrimination against women.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has launched a global appeal for $500 million in funding to support the UN’s human rights efforts in 2025. This appeal is essential for addressing global human rights needs, with a focus on situations of grave violations and abuses in countries such as Gaza, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Sudan, and Myanmar.

Türk emphasized the importance of human rights in promoting peace, security, and sustainable development. He warned that without adequate funding, critical human rights efforts could falter, potentially leaving women and girls at risk of further discrimination and abuse.

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