Ashgabat, 30 September 2009 – The 30th anniversary of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was officially marked in Turkmenistan by holding a one-day international conference which focused on CEDAW’s international and national aspects. The event was organized by the United Nations Office in Turkmenistan and the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under the President of Turkmenistan.

The conference gathered together policy makers and practitioners in various fields of the public sector, deputy governors of Turkmenistan’s provinces in charge of social and gender issues, representatives of the international community operating in Turkmenistan as well as UN international experts on CEDAW and human security.  The conference sought to raise awareness of national counterparts about gender equality and women’s empowerment and to present the preliminary version of the UN-Turkmenistan programme on human security and gender titled “Applying a Gender Approach to Advance Human Security in Turkmenistan.” This programme is designed to advance Turkmenistan’s commitment towards women’s empowerment and gender equality to a higher level and to facilitate practical application of gender and human security concepts. 

“Turkmenistan has made efforts to promote gender equality. CEDAW was in fact among the first international human rights treaties Turkmenistan had acceded to in 1997. Among recent commendable measures taken by the government of Turkmenistan was accession to the CEDAW Optional Protocol.  By ratifying the Optional Protocol, Turkmenistan has recognized the authority of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination again Women – the body that monitors States parties compliance with the Convention – to receive and consider complaints from individuals or groups within its jurisdiction,” said UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Richard Young in his opening remarks.  

The conference listened to presentations on obligations of states under CEDAW, global perspectives and progress achieved and challenges ahead; regional best practices of CEDAW implementation; socio-economic progress in implementation of women’s rights and empowerment of women in Turkmenistan; findings of recent global surveys on domestic violence against women; reporting on international conventions on human rights with emphasis on CEDAW; the concept of human security and its relevance to CEDAW and gender equality. 

Wrapping up the conference, NIDHR Director Shirin Akhmedova welcomed the UN initiative to launch new joint programmes in Turkmenistan in the field of human rights, human security and gender equality and said the conference provided all stakeholders with an opportunity to once again acknowledge the importance of CEDAW in ensuring the observance of women’s rights in Turkmenistan.  

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 18 December 1979.  Currently, 185 countries - over ninety percent of the members of the United Nations - are party to the Convention. The Convention provides a comprehensive framework to protect the rights of women, remove discrimination and achieve gender equality. The Convention calls for anti-discrimination laws to be put in place but it also emphasizes that the state has the obligation to take all necessary steps to ensure that women actually enjoy equality in practice in their daily lives.