The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is often referred to as the ‘women’s bill of rights.’ Ratified or acceded to by 179 countries, CEDAW provides a powerful framework for countries to move toward achieving gender equality, one of the key elements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Yet, despite widespread ratification of the Convention, full implementation of its provisions has lagged behind. Given almost universal agreement on the MDGs as a goal to guide all development activities, intensified support for countries to build capacity to fully implement the Convention is both strategic and timely.

The CEDAW South East Asia Programme (CEDAW SEAP) is a programme of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The project goal is to achieve more effective CEDAW implementation so that it better contributes to the realisation of women’s human rights. The Programme prioritizes strengthening capacities of rights-holders to claim their rights and duty-bearers to fulfil their obligations in accordance with commitments to CEDAW implementation in seven participating countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam. In all 7 countries, the Program will work toward achieving three outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Increased awareness of women’s human rights and deeper understanding of CEDAW by state organs and organised civil society groups including women’s NGOs
• Outcome 2: Capacity of governments and organised civil society, including women’s NGOs to promote women’s human rights under CEDAW, are strengthened at the national and regional levels.
• Outcome 3: Stronger political will and commitment to CEDAW implementation generated/strengthened by popularising CEDAW and helping to develop women’s knowledge and capacity to claim their rights

The programme principle is to build national ownership and rely on strategic partnerships to broaden the base of actors in the region and in the participating countries who are capable and committed to CEDAW implementation. This will be done via the establishment of a Country Consultative Committee (CCC) which aims to create a forum where key stakeholders can provide advice, support and share information and knowledge related to the effective planning and implementation of the CEDAW SEAP. At the national level, the programme will support government – particularly the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches – as well as women’s NGOs and human rights organizations. It will build strong partnerships with UN organizations, bilateral donors, academic institutions and the media. At the same time, it is to build more widespread awareness and capacity to implement CEDAW, prioritizing the use of CEDAW to underpin action on specific legal and policy priorities in each country. CEDAW SEA program will focus on concrete improvements in the legal and policy framework to enhance women’s political participation, to more effectively address poverty eradication from a women’s rights perspective, and to strengthen action and accountability for ending violence against women will result from the programme.

In Vietnam, the programme will be coordinated by the UNIFEM CEDAW Project Office and will be implemented from 2005 to 2008, by national partners, including the National Committee for the Advancement of Women, the Vietnam Women’s Union, the Department of Social Affairs of the National Assembly, selected training and research institutions and non-governmental organisations. At the moment, CEDAW SEA Program is active in contributing to the drafting process of the Gender equality law by (a) supporting the Vietnam Women’s Union to carry out research on the current situation of gender quality in the country, (b) providing technical inputs to the National Machinery – NCFAW to harmonise CEDAW into the Law, and (c) supporting the National Assembly to review the Law once it is drafted.

Contact: (to be updated)

(Updated June 2005)