The international review of the fourth national report on the implementation of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is underway in Taipei City, highlighting Taiwan’s commitment to enacting and refining measures safeguarding women’s rights.
A panel of foreign experts who have served on the U.N. Committee on CEDAW are holding discussions with officials and nongovernmental organization representatives about women’s rights policies introduced between 2017 and 2020. Comments and recommendations for strengthening related measures will be announced at the conclusion of the five-day review Dec. 2.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Premier Su Tseng-chang said that although Taiwan is not a member of the U.N., the country shares the universal values of human rights and has codified five—including CEDAW—out of nine U.N. human rights conventions into domestic law.
The fourth CEDAW national report was released by the Cabinet in June this year, Su said, adding that the government is sparing no effort to enact legislation addressing gender equality promotion, sexual violence and crime prevention, and improvement of women’s health and work rights.
Su also requested that relevant ministries and agencies incorporate recommendations from the international review into policy adjustments and future initiatives to help boost progress on women’s rights.
Following his remarks, National Human Rights Commission Chair Chen Chu said the government’s efforts to promote gender equality are paying dividends, as demonstrated by the implementation of the Act of Gender Equality in Employment in 2002, the inauguration of President Tsai as the country’s first female president in 2016, and the 41.59 percent female representation rate in the country’s Legislature in 2020.
Adopted by the U.N. in 1979, CEDAW has become one of the most important international codes for protecting women’s rights. Although Taiwan is not a signatory to the convention, the promulgation of an enforcement act was adopted by the Legislative Yuan in 2011 and took effect the following year. (YCH-E)
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