Programme on Women's Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (PWESCR)

AFGHANISTAN WOMEN LEADERS TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & WOMEN

20 October, 08

PWESCR organized an informal discussion with Afghanistan women leader
Ms. Shinkai Karokhail (Member of the Parliament in the current legislative body),
Ms. Wazhma Frogh (Country Director for Global Rights and women’s rights activist),
Ms. Hasina Safi (Managing Director for Afghan Women Educational Center),
Ms Sheila Samimi, (Advocacy Program Officer for women’s Network) and
Ms. Stur Ayubi, (Program Associate for Women’s Rights Campaign) and women’s right group for the mutual sharing of strategies and ideas. In this discussion issues concerning to women got highlighted and also the condition of women in Afghanistan, India and Iran.

Women demand Greater Protection for Foreign Domestic Workers and All Women Migrants

15 October, 08 – 17 October, 08

PWESCR participated in the Asia Pacific NGO Consultation with Dr. Yakin Ertürk, United Nations Special Reporter on Violence against Women and Prof. S. James Anaya, United Nations Special Reporter on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom of Indigenous People, Its Causes and Consequences (UNSRVAW), from 15-16 October 2008, New Delhi, Women demanded Greater Protection for Foreign Domestic Workers and All Women Migrants!

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BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN RHETORIC AND REALITY – WITH RAMONA BIHOLAR ON IMPLEMENTATION OF CEDAW
29 September, 08

PWESCR invited Romanian lawyer Ramona Biholar to lead discussion on relevance of CEDAW in the Caribbean during her brief visit to PWESCR on Sept 29, 2008. She highlighted the peculiar and acute situation of Jamaican women’s rights linked intrinsically to the social norms and gender inequalities. The discussion provided the participants with a platform to share their ideas on the implementation of CEDAW and to work on better implementation strategies in future and also enhance their learning. Beside this it also raised the issue of domination of western powers in field of Human Rights. But most importantly she addressed the issue of dichotomy that exists between social action and research.

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INDICATORS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ASSESSMENTS
24 September, 08

The presentation by Rajeev Malhotra a development economist, and who has worked with the Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights in Geneva and is working presently at Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs provided an assessment of some of the major initiatives and approaches to develop quantitative human rights indicators for monitoring human rights in recent times and helped the participants to see the advantages of using a structured approach in identifying indicators for use in monitoring the progressive realization of human rights, violation of human rights and the implementation of human rights obligations of States who are party to international human rights treaties.

Download – Presentation

Report on Indicators for Promoting and Monitoring The Implementation of Human Rights

FORMATION OF WORKING GROUP TO MONITOR SOCIAL SECURITY
24 September, 08

As several people were working towards a comprehensive legislation on social security in India, PWESCR is also equally concerned about the low priority and lack of monitoring of National Social Assistance Programmers and as we continue to define content and coverage of social security for all we felt a need to examine the effective implementation and monitoring mechanisms for which we formed the National Working Group to monitor Social Security after having a meeting at the Planning Commission. The group consists of members from both the Government and Social Security and will fill in the two major gaps i.e. lack of clarity in content and

coverage and inadequacy in monitoring. After the meeting members even went to the extent of thinking of directly talking to the ministries on issue and also to develop a base paper.

STRATEGY MEETING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF CONCLUDING OBSERVATION
13 September, 08

This meeting was a follow up of the earlier meeting held on July 27, 08 to discuss on the next steps and strategies for the implementation of the concluding observation. Meeting started with a quick recap of the collective process of July 24 and the three subgroups then presented their views and raised the issues. The three important things which got identified were to raise awareness, do advocacy and to form a pressure group for monitoring and documentation. Some important decisions that got made were that need to have short term and long term process – short term process included

Translation of the concluding observation
Dissemination of information at National and State level where as the long term process included
Awareness and to develop a kit
Roundtable conference for ministries and one to one interaction with them