OSCE supports civil society in Kyrgyzstan to prepare the Alternative Report to the UN Convention on Discrimination against Women Committee
The Alternative Report to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee was presented at a round table that concluded on 21 November in Bishkek.
Under the CEDAW Convention, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic periodically prepares official reports to the UN CEDAW Committee on the implementation of its obligations to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.
In addition, the country's independent civil society organizations prepare an Alternative Report for the UN CEDAW Committee. This year, the preparation and presentation of the Alternative Report was implemented by the Council of NGOs, an informal consortium of seven non-governmental organizations, with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.
The Alternative Report not only serves as an advocacy tool for gender equality, but also provides a basis for the UN CEDAW Committee to formulate and provide recommendations to the government.
Participants of the round table included representatives of state agencies, public organizations, and independent experts who shared recommendations that will be incorporated into the final version of the document.
The aim of the round table was to present the most acute issues addressed by the Alternative Report such as bride abduction and forced marriage, documentation of women migrants, representation of women in decision-making positions, the most pressing issues that women and girls face in rural areas and much more.
The Alternative Report had previously been presented in all provinces of Kyrgyzstan by ensuring the regional comprehensiveness of recommendations, which were then addressed in the Report.