On the one hand women’s human rights are embedded at the BIM in the research area of ‘Women’s Rights, Children’s Rights and Trafficking in Human Beings’. On the other hand women’s human rights as a cross cutting topic form part of projects of other research areas of the BIM, such as Development Cooperation and Business, European Neighbourhood and Integration Policy and Antidiscrimination, Asylum and Migration.
In order to promote a comprehensive and systematic implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) the BIM supports the Austrian NGO-CEDAW-Committee 'Frauen:Rechte Jetzt!'.
Sabine Mandl, BIM's women's rights expert, talked with experts on gender, diversity, critical men's studies and development cooperation about a common understanding of gender mainstreaming. You can find a brief german summary about the contributions of the discussion on the website of the Austrian Development Cooperation.
The proportion of women in politics, public service, in supervisory boards in the private sector or in government-related companies, is a current topic. EU Commissioner Reding's proposal for a quota for women in supervisory boards and the debate in Germany lead to the question: What are the developments with regards to female quotas in Austra?
Austria ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1982. Since then, Austria has to submit reports on the progress made concerning the implementation of CEDAW. Regularly Austria is examined by the CEDAW Committee, consisting of 23 experts. The most recent dialogue between the CEDAW Committee and Austria took place on Wednesday, 13 February 2013.
"16 days of activism against gender violence", a worldwide campagne starting from 25th of november (international day against violence against women) till 10th of december (human rights day). Women with disabilities who have experienced violence are often not visible within this discourse.
On 9 May 2012 the Austrian NGO forum Frauen:Rechte jetzt! - NGO Forum CEDAW in Österreich (women's rights:now) presented the new Austrian CEDAW shadow report. The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is one of the most important instruments to achieve gender equality in all spheres of life. CEDAW prohibits discrimination of women and obliges States Parties to implement measures for achieving not only legal but also de facto equality.
The Austrian NGO-forum 'frauen:rechte jetzt' (women's rights:now) presents on 9 May at 9.30 in Vienna the shadow report on CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women) at the restaurant Michl's. The presentation will be held in German.
Experts present specific aspects of the shadow-report: