GENEVA (10 February 2016) – Japan’s record on women’s rights will be examined by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on 16 February. Japan has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and so is reviewed regularly by the Committee on how it is implementing the Convention.

Among the possible issues for discussion between CEDAW and a delegation from the Japanese Government are: Banning the sale of video games or cartoons involving sexual violence against women; employment equality, illegal dismissal of women due to pregnancy and childbirth; sexual harassment in the workplace; reintegration into school textbooks of issue of “comfort women”; compensation for women with disabilities sterilised against their will; effect on women, particularly pregnant women, of health programmes introduced after the Fukushima nuclear disaster; difference in pension benefits for men and women, poverty among older women.

The review will take place in Room XVIII at Palais des Nations in Geneva from 10:00 -13:00 and 15:00 - 17:00 (18:00 - 21.00 and 23:00 - 01:00 in Tokyo) and be webcast live at http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/.

The Committee will also hear from NGO representatives. More information about the review, including Japan’s written report, here:

http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1007&Lang=en

The Committee is scheduled to hold a news conference at 13:30 on 7 March to discuss its findings on Japan and the other States being reviewed – Iceland, Sweden, Mongolia, Czech Republic, Vanuatu, Haiti and Tanzania. CEDAW’s findings will be published on 7 March here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1007&Lang=en

ENDS

More information and media requests: Liz Throssell +41 (0) 22 917 9466/ +41 79 752 0488 ethrossell@ohchr.org

Media accreditation for the Palais des Nations: http://unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpPages)/70991F6887C73B2280256EE700379C58?OpenDocument

Background

CEDAW is composed of 23 independent human rights experts drawn from around the world. They serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. More information:

http://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cedaw/pages/cedawindex.aspx

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