Event information

12 May 2023, 10:00-12:00
Register start 28 March 2023
Register end 12 May 2023

Downloads

Flyer >

Taking Stock: Women’s Rights and Gender-Based Discrimination under Scrutiny at the International Level

Event

Cover page of the Commentary Cover page of the Commentary

This event celebrates the publication of the second, fully revised and updated, edition of ‘The UN Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol. A Commentary’ edited by Patricia Schulz, Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Beate Rudolf and Marsha A. Freeman.

This commentary provides in-depth scrutiny of the jurisprudence of the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in the past decade. Twenty-eight distinguished scholars and practitioners analyze the evolving interpretation of the Convention by the Committee, the threats against women’s rights and gender equality, and the regression, stagnation or progress made in some issues and/or regions. The Commentary also presents the role the Committee plays in setting standards of women’s human rights at the universal level, for instance, thanks to its requirement that States ensure substantive, and not only formal, equality and by making States accountable for the violations of the rights of women by non-State actors in some cases (due diligence obligation).

At this launch event, six panelists will share their views on the fascinating developments and the difficulties of implementing the UN CEDAW Convention and its Optional Protocol as living international law instruments.

Welcome

  • Professor Gloria Gaggioli, Director, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Moderation

  • Patricia Schulz, former CEDAW Committee Member and Rapporteur, Senior Research Associate, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

Panelists

  • Andrew Byrnes, Emeritus Professor of International Law and Human Rights, University of New South Wales (online)
  • Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Professor, Bar-Ilan University and former CEDAW Committee Member and Vice-Chair
  • Hilary Gbedemah, Lawyer, Member of the CEDAW Committee and former Chair
  • Aruna D. Narain, Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Mauritius and former CEDAW Committee Rapporteur and Member
  • Beate Rudolf, Professor of Law, Director of the German Institute for Human Rights
  • Sulini Sarugaser-Hug, Lawyer, Human Rights Officer, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP in Davos News

AI and Human Rights in the Intelligent Age: GHRP in Davos

3 February 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributed to key discussions on AI, human rights, and sustainable digital governance at the World Economic Forum 2025.

Read more

web of information News

New Research Brief Examines the Relationship Between Digital Technologies and Their Misuse in Surveillance, Cyberattacks, and Disinformation Campaigns

21 February 2025

Our new research brief examines the complex relationship between digital technologies and their misuse in surveillance, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns.

Read more

AI for Good Event Event

AI for human rights: Smarter, faster, fairer monitoring

8 July 2025, 14:00-16:00

The event, as part of the AI for Good Summit 2025 will explore how AI tools can support faster data analysis, help uncover patterns in large datasets, and expand the reach of human rights work.

Read more

Local Government Event

Enhancing National Reporting and Implementation of Human Rights through Coordinated Engagement at the Local and Regional Levels: The Role of NMIRFs

23 July 2025, 10:00-17:00

This seminar explores how national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up can better integrate the capacities, data, and experiences of local and regional governments in advancing human rights implementation and reporting.

Read more

A general view of participants during of the 33nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council. Training

The Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability

10-14 November 2025

This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.

Read more

Training

Human Rights and the Environment: Introducing Legal Regimes and Key Issues

1-8 September 2025

Participants in this training course will be introduced to the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as international environmental law and its implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

Read more

View of a session of the UN Human Rights Council Project

Human Rights Conversations

Started in January 2020

A series of events aimed at discussing contemporary issues and challenges related to the promotion and protection of human rights in Geneva and beyond.

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more

Cover page of the working paper Publication

AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

published on January 2025

Milica Mirkovic, Jennifer Victoria Scurrell

Read more