MINELRES: ERRC: UN CEDAW's Concluding Comments on Women's Rights in Hungary Expresses Concern About Situation of Roma
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Fri Aug 31 20:38:24 2007
Original sender: European Roma Rights Centre <[email protected]>
UN CEDAW's Concluding Comments on Women's Rights in Hungary Expresses
Concern About Situation of Roma
31 August 2007, Budapest
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), today welcomed the concluding
comments of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) in their review of Hungary�s compliance with the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women. The ERRC had previously submitted a report
to the Committee bringing attention to the critical situation for Romani
women in Hungary as well the lack of implementation of the Committee�s
recommendations in the 2004 coerced sterilisation case, Ms. A.S. v.
Hungary.
CEDAW�s comments highlight the particularly vulnerable position of
Romani women with regard to education, health, housing, employment and
participation in political, public and economic life as well as �the
prevalence of violence against Roma women and girls, including
harassment and abuse at school, and �the gaps in Roma women�s formal
education and the high rates of school dropout among Roma girls.�
The Committee noted concern �about the situation of Roma women and
girls, who face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based
on sex, ethnic or cultural background and socio-economic status.� It
called for �a holistic approach to eliminating the multiple and
intersecting forms of discrimination that Roma women face and to
accelerate their achievement of de facto equality�.
In its concluding comments, the Committee recommended that the Hungarian
Government take concrete measures to overcome stereotypical attitudes
towards Roma women.
In terms of policy the Hungarian Government is recommended to ensure
�the effective coordination of all entities working on Roma,
non-discrimination and gender equality issues; the implementation of
�targeted measures, within specific time frames, in all areas and to
monitor their implementation� and; the inclusion of a gender perspective
�into all aspects of the Programme for the Decade of Roma Inclusion
2005-2015.�
CEDAW also recommended �that the State party collect and make available
statistical information in the areas of education, health, employment
and social, economic and political status of Roma women and girls with a
view to developing further specific policies to respond to their needs,�
and address the high rate of unemployment among Roma women by adopt ing
measures to enhance their participation in public life at all levels.
With regard to the implementation of the Committee�s 2004 decision in
the Ms A.S. v. Hungary individual complaint filed by the ERRC and the
Legal Defense Bureau for National and Ethnic Minorities, the Committee
expressed concern at the Hungarian Government�s failure to implement the
Committee�s recommendations, �[�] specifically the recommendation to
provide appropriate compensation to Ms. A.S., to review its domestic
legislation pertaining to the principle of informed consent and ensure
its conformity with international human rights and medical standards,
and monitor public and private health centers which perform
sterilization procedures [�]�. The Committee urged the Hungarian
government to �provide appropriate compensation to Ms. A.S.�
The full text of the CEDAW Committee�s concluding comments on Hungary
are available at:
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N07/459/53/PDF/N0745953.pdf?OpenElement
The ERRC parallel report on the situation of Romani women in Hungary is
available in English and Hungarian at:
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2136
For further information, please contact Monika Pacziga:
[email protected]
Regarding the individual complain, please contact Anita Danka:
[email protected]
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The European Roma Rights Centre is an international public interest law
organisation which monitors the human rights situation of Roma and
provides legal defence in cases of human rights abuse. For more
information about the European Roma Rights Centre, visit the ERRC on the
web at http://www.errc.org
To support the ERRC, please visit this link:
http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2735
European Roma Rights Centre
1386 Budapest 62
P.O. Box 906/93
Hungary
Tel: +36.1.413.2200
Fax:
+36.1.413.2201
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