Trends in Women’s Human Rights

December 2008 – In September, Ambassador Erlinda Basilio, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations in Geneva and Vice President of the Human Rights Council, addressed a meeting of the Geneva NGO Committee on the Status of Women. She started the discussion by confirming that, although the Women’s Rights movement has come a long way, there is still a long way to go. She also stressed that is very important to make sure that those States which have not enacted the necessary legislation to ensure women’s human rights, do so.

CEDAW has identified gender violence as a Human Rights issue. Ms. Krishna Ahoojapatel, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and co-convener of the working group of Displaced Women and the Geneva NGO Status of Women Committee, also spoke, reporting that there are 200 million people on the move in migration and as refugees, of which 40-50% are women.

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• Summary from notes submitted by Conchita Poncini, Coordinator of GWI Representatives in Geneva, President of the Geneva NGO Committee on the Status of Women