CEDAW Rising recently submitted recommendations to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women regarding its Draft General Recommendation No. 41 on “Dismantling Gender Stereotypes and the Unequal Power Relations that Sustain Them.”
The submission urges the Committee to explicitly recognize the critical role of local governments in implementing CEDAW and dismantling intersectional gender stereotypes across public systems, including education, policing, housing, health care and social services.
The submission also requests that the Committee call upon national governments to resource and support local governments in:
➤ Integrating CEDAW across local departments and public systems;
➤ Developing and maintaining data collection systems to assess the prevalence and impacts of gender stereotypes, including through disaggregated data reflecting intersectional discrimination;
➤ Conducting regular gender and intersectional analyses;
➤ Implementing measures to counter gender stereotypes across sectors including education, health, justice systems, law enforcement, employment, social services and migration systems;
➤ Providing training for local officials and service providers on identifying and addressing implicit and intersectional biases;
➤ Establishing monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms with measurable indicators and appropriate oversight; and
➤ Ensuring the meaningful participation of impacted communities in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of local actions.
These comments reflect CEDAW Rising’s ongoing work to advance intersectional gender justice through local implementation of international human rights standards.
CEDAW Rising 