New York, 9 June 2024 (TDI): Madina Zharbosynova, a prominent Kazakh diplomat, has been elected to the UN CEDAW for the first time as Kazakh representative. The elections for members of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) for 2025-2028 took place at the United Nations Headquarters.
The elections were held during the 23rd meeting of the States Parties to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
This marks a significant milestone, as it is the first time a representative from any Central Asian country has been elected to this important UN body.
Before this, no Central Asian nation had achieved representation on the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Kazakhstan is leading the promotion of gender equality progress among Central Asian countries. Demonstrating its commitment to advancing gender equality, Kazakhstan achieved a commendable 62nd place in the 2023 Global Gender Gap Index.
This index, which evaluates gender equality in 146 countries, highlights Kazakhstan’s significant improvement, as it rose to the 18th position compared to previous rankings.
Moreover, this upward trajectory underscores Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts and successes in closing the gender gap.
Alongside Kazakhstan, 20 countries vied for 11 seats in CEDAW.
These nations included Oman, Switzerland, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Guatemala, Andorra, Australia, Nepal, Georgia, Chile, Barbados, China, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Cameroon, Mozambique, North Macedonia, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, and Togo.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is a panel of independent experts responsible for monitoring the implementation of obligations by States parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The committee is composed of 23 experts on women’s rights from various countries around the world.
Moreover, States parties to the treaty are required to submit reports to the Committee every four years, detailing their progress in implementing the relevant rights outlined in the Convention.
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During its sessions, the Committee reviews the reports submitted by each participating state and provides feedback and recommendations in the form of concluding observations. Kazakhstan became a party to this international document in 1998.
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