ESCR-Net: Women and ESCR

Join Listserv for Women and ESCR

Women and ESCR

ESCR-Net International Strategy Meeting, Nairobi 2008

ESCR-Net's work on Women and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) currently focuses on international advocacy and resource creation to support a deeper understanding of the unique and disproportionate impacts violation of ESCR have on women through collaborative projects with women's human rights groups at the national, regional and international levels. This area of work was created in response to the need to strengthen work on women and ESCR and to integrate gender analysis into all of the efforts of ESCR-Net. Women's rights are human rights, and any consideration of human rights must include an awareness of the inequality and differential impacts often experienced by women.

We welcome you to join the Women and ESCR Listserve by sending an email to ESCR-FEM-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. (There is also a parallel discussion group in Spanish, which you are welcome to join by sending an email to DESC-MUJER@yahoogroups.com.) We encourage you to use these lists actively to share information, requests for solidarity, or possibilities for collective work.

Ongoing Projects and Emerging Issues

2010 marks the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. This anniversary therefore offers the opportunity for women's groups around the world to focus domestic and international attention on the progress (or lack thereof) made during the past 15 years in implementing and ensuring women's human rights, especially economic, social and cultural rights. The opportunity to highlight the connection between implementation of ESC rights and women's rights is also key during this evaluation period, as women's rights are often construed by States to mean civil and political rights, and limited to issues of violence or political participation. While meaningful implementation of the civil and political rights of women remains critical to women's equality; economic, social and cultural rights must be raised to a level of equity and indivisibility in the discourse surrounding women's human rights so that full equality can be realized.

Advocacy in UN Bodies

ESCR-Net, IWRAW-Asia Pacific, and COHRE released a primer on women's economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) during the 45^th session of the CEDAW Committee in Geneva on January 29^th. The launch was accompanied by a thematic briefing with the CEDAW Committee member on the importance of highlighting women's ESCR in concluding observations and general comments and the Committee's role in advancing understanding of the importance of ESCR in women's lives. A full report of that briefing is available in English and Spanish.

If you have suggestions or are interested in finding out more about ESCR-Net's work in this area, please contact us via the Women and ESCR listserv (ESCR-FEM@yahoogroups.com) or directly to the ESCR-Net Secretariat (rbrown@escr-net.org).

View cases from the ESCR-Net Caselaw Database relating to Women's ESC Rights and Discrimination Based on Gender

Activities and Actions by Women and ESCR

March 2, 2011: Panel- Women's ESCR in Kenya under the New Constitution

Kenya has recently adopted a new Constitution which enshrines economic and social rights. During CSW 55, FIDA Kenya and ESCR-Net are organizing a two part dialogue to explore what new possibilities exist for advocacy and litigation on women's economic and social rights, what lessons can be drawn from other countries that recognize ESCR and strategies moving forward.

December 3-5, 2010:Workshop- Claiming Women's Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Penang Malaysia

October 10, 2010: Evert- CEDAW's Role in Realizing Women's ESCR: Oct. 19, 2010 Briefing

Thematic Briefing for CEDAW Committee on Women's ESCR - 45th Session

March 9, 2009: "Celebrating 30 Years of CEDAW: Towards the Realisation of Women's Human Rights"

The Montreal Principles on Women's Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

CEDAW / CESCR reporting guidelines (863K) [download]