3.The curricula vitae of the above candidates, as furnished by their Governments, are contained in annex III.

Annex I

List of the 11 members of the Committee whose terms expire on 31 December 2008

Member	Country of nationality
Magalys Arocha Dominguez	Cuba
Mary Shanthi Dairiam	Malaysia
Françoise Gaspard	France
Tiziana Maiolo	Italy
Silvia Pimentel	Brazil
Hanna Beate Schöpp-Schilling	Germany
Heisoo Shin	Republic of Korea
Glenda P. Simms	Jamaica
Anamah Tan	Singapore
Maria Regina Tavares da Silva	Portugal
Xiaoqiao Zou	China

Annex II

List of the members who will continue to serve on the Committee until 31 December 2010 a

Member	Country of nationality
Ferdous Ara Begum	Bangladesh
Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani	Algeria
Saisuree Chutikul	Thailand
Dorcas Ama Frema Coker-Appiah	Ghana
Cornelis Flinterman	Netherlands
Naéla Gabr Mohamed Gabre Ali	Egypt
Ruth Halperin-Kaddari	Israel
Yoko Hayashi	Japan
Violeta Neubauer	Slovenia
Pramila Patten	Mauritius
Dubravka Šimonović	Croatia

a Hazel Gumede Shelton ( South Africa ) was elected at the fourteenth meeting of States parties in June 2006 to serve until 31 December 2010. Ms. Shelton resigned in 2007 and another expert will be appointed by South Africa in accordance with article 17, paragraph 7 , of the Convention .

Annex III

Curricula vitae of candidates

Fadheela Al-Mahroos (Bahrain)

Date and place of birth

10 November 1954, Bahrain

Working languages

Fluent in written and spoken Arabic and English

Current positions/functions

•Member of the Supreme Council for Women, Bahrain

•Consultant Paediatrician, Sulmaniya Medical Complex, Ministry of Health (MOH), Bahrain

•Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the Medical School, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain

•Chairperson of Child protection Unit, MOH, Bahrain

•Chairperson of Health Research committee in secondary care, MOH, Bahrain

•Chairperson of Board of directors of Bahrain Centre of Child Protection

•Member of the National Childhood committee, Bahrain

•Member of the Arab Network for the prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect

•Member of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect

Educational background

•Sept, 2004: Master of Health Professions Education – AGU, Bahrain

•Dec, 1997: Diploma in Health Care Management, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland and MOH, Bahrain

•June, 1988: Diplomat of the American Board of Paediatrics

•Jan, 1983: Diploma of Child health, National University of Ireland, Dublin-Ireland

•July, 1979: Medical Doctor, Faculty of Medicine – Aleppo University – Syria

Main professional activities

•Child rights advocate, Worked on drafting Bahrain’s Child Protection Act

•Expert Physician in child abuse and neglect, Drew public attention to the problem in the beginning of the 90s and lectured extensively to various professionals in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Warsaw, Morocco, Doha, and United Arab Emirates and to lay people about the magnitude of the problem, its recognition, management & prevention.

•Sample of presentations:

1.Coordinated “Multidisciplinary response to child abuse and neglect” workshop 5 days in Riyadh – Saudi Arabia November 2007 and May 2008. Similar course done in Bahrain April 2008.

2.“Responding to Child Abuse in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: Realities & Challenges” given in Feb. 2004 in Amman and in Riyadh Expert Meeting in April, 2004. Saudi Arabia.

3.“Recognizing Sexual Abuse of Children Workshop” Amman, April 2004.

4.“Sexual Exploitation of Children” National Cultural Forum, Bahrain. 2003.

5.Child Abuse: Bahrain’s Perspective” at the “Ninth Moroccan National Conference on Children’s Rights” Casablanca-Morocco, 25-26 June 2002.

6.“Bahrain’s Experience in Child Abuse” “Diagnosis and Management of Child Abuse in Saudi Arabia Conference” Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. March 2002.

7.“Child Abuse, Bahrain’s Experience” and “Responding to Child Maltreatment” Two Presentations given at “The fourteenth International Child Health Conference” Sultan Qaboos University and the Ministry of Health, Oman 5-7 Feb 2001.

8.“Child Abuse Status in Bahrain” and “Child Protection: can we achieve it?” Two presentations given at the First Arabian Gulf Medical Association Conference” Bahrain 24-26 Nov 1998

Other relevant activities

•Human rights activities & women rights advocate: Participated as an Organizer and facilitator and lecturer in Workshops related to “Arab Women’s Rights in the context of CEDAW” and “Women in Society: Social Equity and rights”.

•Member of several organizations: Bahrain Medical Society, Bahraini Society for Child Development, Physicians foe Human Rights- USA 86-94, Amnesty International, USA 1988-1996 and International Society for the prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

•Examiner at the Paediatrics Arab Board of Medical Specialization, Damascus-Syria. Expert in Children Rights. Arab Counsel for childhood and development, Cairo- Egypt

Most recent publications in the field

•Al-Mahroos F, and others. Child abuse, Bahrain’s Experience. 2005, Child Abuse & Neglect, International Journal. 29:187-193.

•Al-Mahroos FT and Bandaranayke RC. Teaching Ethics in Medical Schools. Annals of Saudi Medicine. 2003, 23 (1-2):1-4.

•Al-Mahroos FT. Responding to Child Abuse in Bahrain: critical look at the present situation and future vision. Chapter in the book Protecting Children from Abuse Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research, 2002. In press.

•Al-Mahroos FT. and Al-Saleh F. Umbilical Cord Blood Lead Level of Newborns in Bahrain. Current Paediatrics Research; 2000, 4(1): 7-12.

•Contributed to four chapters in Textbook of Clinical Pediatrics. Chapter 192: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Chapter 197: The Pancreas, Chapter 203: Metabolic Liver Disease and Chapter 207: Chronic Hepatitis in Children. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001.

•Al-Mahroos FT. Corporal Punishment and Psychological Maltreatment of School Girls in Bahrain. Bahrain Medical Bulletin. 1997, 19 (3): 70-73.

Nicole Ameline (France)

Date and place of birth

4 July 1952 in Saint-Vaast-en-Auge, France

Working languages

French, English

Current position/function

–Deputy for Calvados (elected member of the French Parliament since 1991)

oMember of the Foreign Affairs Committee

oChairperson of the study group entitled “Globalization: economic and social regulations” and of the “France-United Kingdom” friendship group

–Vice-Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Human Rights

Educational background

–Institute of Political Studies, Paris

–Diplôme d ’ études supérieures spécialisées (DESS) (diploma of specialized advanced studies) in public law, with a major in Community law, University of Caen

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

–Former representative of the French Government to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and former ambassador for social and gender issues in international relations

oSupport for women’s access to positions of political responsibility

oExpert advice to Governments for the development of women’s rights

oExpert advice on the social dimension of globalization

–Former Minister for Gender Issues and Professional Equality

oPreparation and implementation of a plan to promote women’s empowerment

oImplementation of a legislative mechanism to combat domestic violence

oDefinition of a policy of equal pay between men and women

oCombating of stereotypes, prejudices and discriminatory traditions

oLaunching of the international initiative “Partners for Beijing+10”

Magalys Arocha Domínguez (Cuba)

Date and place of birth

Born on 8 January 1958 in Pinar del Río, Cuba.

Cuban, specialist in philosophy, doctoral student in philosophy.

–Professor of philosophy at the university level.

–Member of the National Directorate of the Federation of Cuban Women. Department for International Relations.

Educational background

–Degree in Russian. Moscow, 1978.

–Degree in history and social sciences. Moscow, 1982.

–Specialization in philosophy. University of Havana, 1988.

–Qualification as auxiliary professor of philosophy, 1988.

–Currently working towards a doctorate in philosophy.

–Diploma in methodology for community engagement.

Main professional activities

–Professor of philosophy at the higher teaching institute level (1982-1989).

–Leader of the Federation of Cuban Women at the provincial level between 1989 and 1992.

–Elected member of the Assembly of People’s Power in the province of Pinar del Río, 1992-1995.

–Presentation of studies and papers on the status of Cuban women, Cuban women’s rights, violence, institutional framework and the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the areas of political participation and socio-economic activity at scientific events, in small-scale publications and newspaper articles, at teaching conferences and at Ibero-American summits on gender, United Nations forums such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), congresses of the Women’s International Democratic Federation and meetings of the World Social Forum.

–Provision of advisory services to Cuban organizations, United Nations agencies and national women’s machineries in a number of Latin American countries on gender issues and international activities. Expert on United Nations bodies.

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

–Adviser to the Government of Cuba on the organization of a national seminar to follow up on the Beijing Platform for Action and the concluding comments of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

–Panellist at a regional seminar on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women held under the auspices of ECLAC and the Division for the Advancement of Women (Santiago, Chile, 2005).

–Seminar on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women requested by the Governments of the Dominican Republic (2006) and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (2007).

–Government consultant as an expert on gender issues during the drafting of United Nations documents and reports in follow-up to world conferences and summits.

–Expert invited to panel discussions held by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the ECLAC Regional Conference on Women.

–Member of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (January 2005 to December 2008).

Participation in international conferences and meetings (selection)

–Member and head of Cuban delegations to sessions of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and to meetings of the Presiding officers of the ECLAC Regional Conference on Women (1998-2005).

–Delegation of Cuba to the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, China, 1995, and to world conferences and preparation and follow-up processes, Beijing + 5 and Beijing + 10.

–Sessions of the ECLAC Regional Conference on Women (1997/2000/2004).

–Member and head of Cuban delegations to Ibero-American summits on women and gender.

–Tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth congresses of the Women’s International Democratic Federation.

–Editions of the World Social Forum (2000-2004).

Most recent publications in the field

–“Género y sistema electoral en Cuba” (Gender and electoral system in Cuba)

–“La igualdad como valor de la Democracia” (Equality as a value of democracy)

–“Mujeres Protagonistas de movimientos sociales emergentes en América Latina y el Caribe” (Women protagonists of emerging social movements in Latin America and the Caribbean)

–“Apuntes para el debate acerca de género y cohesión social en Iberoamérica” (Notes for the debate on gender and social cohesion in Latin America)

–“Unidad y diversidad en la metodología del seguimiento a las Observaciones Finales del Comité de la CEDAW en Latinoamérica” (Unity and diversity in the methodology used to follow up on the concluding comments of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Latin America)

Marie Thérèse Avemeka (Republic of the Congo)

Date and place of birth

4 March 1943 in Aboua (Makoua), Republic of the Congo

Working languages

French, English (intermediate)

Current position/function

Consultant at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Relations with Francophone Countries

Main professional activities

Former Minister for the Integration of Women in Development

Representative of the Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 1984 to 1999

Consultant at UNESCO (follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women from 1995 to 1998)

Educational background

General administration, labour administration

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Active member of Femme Africa Solidarité (FAS)

Participation in several regional and international conferences on women

Violet Tsisiga Awori (Kenya)

Date and place of birth

19 July 1957, Nairobi

Working languages

English

Current position/function

Practising advocate of the High Court of Kenya with 26 years experience. Chairperson, Federation of Women Lawyers – Kenya (FIDA Kenya).

Main professional activities

Law firm specializing in family law. Heading FIDA Kenya which monitors government’s compliance to its international obligations, prepares alternative (shadow) reports, advocates and lobbies for law reform, provides legal aid for marginalized women, monitors rights abuses of women, helps in the preparation of periodic reports of government to the CEDAW Committee.

Educational background

Bachelor of laws degree, diploma in legal education.

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Attended the fifty-second session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in February 2008. Between 12 and 24 November 2007 attended training on treaty monitoring bodies in Geneva where I attained in-depth knowledge of the United Nations human rights system and treaty body procedure, the reporting systems, committee membership, preparation of shadow reports and monitoring government compliance. In July 2007 represented FIDA Kenya at the thirty-ninth session of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women where Kenya was presenting her combined fifth and sixth country report to the CEDAW Committee. She submitted the FIDA Kenya shadow report.

List of most recent publications in the field

No recent publication.

Barbara Evelyn Bailey (Jamaica)

Date and place of birth

14 March 1942, Kingston, Jamaica

Working Languages

English

Current position

Director of the Regional Coordinating Unit, Centre for Gender & Development Studies (CGDS), University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, since 1996. In this capacity, Professor Bailey has represented the Government of Jamaica at regional and international conferences on matters relating to gender, women’s rights.

In addition, Professor Bailey provides advice to the Government of Jamaica on gender matters, and since 2004, she has chaired the National Gender Advisory Committee, which is mandated to develop a strategic and comprehensive policy for achieving gender equality and social justice and provide direction, coordination, integration and monitoring of gender mainstreaming activities of the Government of Jamaica.

Main professional activities

2003-present, Professor, Gender & Education, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica

1980-1996, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica

Education

Ph.D. Education, University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica, 1987

M.A. Education, University of the West Indies, Jamaica, 1983

BSc. Med. Microbiology, University of the West Indies, Jamaica, 1974

Non-degree studies

Advanced Reading Course on Gender and Development Issues, Dalhousie University, Canada, 1999

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Chair, Gender Task Force, 2030 National Development Plan, Planning Institute of Jamaica. 2007-Present.

Member, Regional Advisory Committee on Gender Matters, UNIFEM, 1995-Present.

Member, Project Advisory Committee, Canada-Caribbean Gender Equity Fund, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Kingston, Jamaica, 2000-2005.

Chair, Board of Studies, Mona Unit, Centre for Gender & Development Studies, Mona Campus, UWI, 2003-2006.

Member, CARICOM Task Force on Gender Mainstreaming, CARICOM Secretariat. Georgetown, Guyana, October 2002.

Co-Chair, The Jamaica National Preparatory Commission appointed by the GOJ to prepare the National Report on the Status of Women in Jamaica for the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, China: September, l995. July 1993 to August 1994.

Consultant to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat at the Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”. United Nations Headquarters, New York, June, 2000.

Consultant to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat at the meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women Acting as the Preparatory Committee for the UN Special Session on Women, United Nations Headquarters, New York. March, 2000.

Consultant to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat at the Eighth Session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, Lima, Peru with responsibility for making appropriate interventions and formulating language in negotiations to produce the Lima Consensus. February, 2000

Designed and facilitated a Post-Beijing +5 Meeting for Directors of Women’s Bureaux sponsored by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Kingston, Jamaica. December, 2000.

Authored and presented a paper on “Women and Education” at an Expert Group Meeting on Beijing +5 hosted by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Caribbean Office and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. St. Michael, Barbados, March 2000.

Representation at regional and international meetings: United Nations

Head of Jamaican Delegation to 36th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to present and defend Jamaica’s Fifth Periodic Report. United Nations, New York. August 11, 2006.

Member of Jamaican Delegation to the 50th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, United Nations, New York. March 2006. Prepared and presented Jamaica’s Statement to the Assembly March 2, 2006.

Representative of the Government of Jamaica on the Consultative Committee of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, January 2001 to December 2003, UNIFEM, New York.

Member of Jamaican Delegation to Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”. United Nations Headquarters, New York, June, 2000.

Member of Jamaican Delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, China, September, l995.

Member of Jamaican Delegation to the United Nations World Conference to Review the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women, Nairobi, Kenya, July l985.

Regional organizations

Jamaican representative to the meeting of the Committee of Experts on Violence (CEVI) of the Inter-American Commission of Women, Organisation of American States. Buenos Aires, Argentina. July 18-21, 2007

Government of Jamaica representative to the 33rd Assembly of Delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women. San Salvador, El Salvador. November 13-15, 2006.

Appointed representative of the Government of Jamaica on the Committee of Experts on Violence (CEVI) of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), Organisation of American States and attended meeting on Follow-Up Mechanism to monitor the Convention of Belem do Para. Washington, D.C. July 24-25, 2006.

List of most recent publications in the field

Co-edited books

2004 Gender in the Twenty-First Century: Caribbean Perspectives, Visions and Possibilities. Kingston, Jamaica. Ian Randle Publishers.

2003Gender Equality in the Caribbean : Reality or Illusion. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers.

2000Gender Issues in Caribbean Education. Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat: Guyana.

Articles

2007Caribbean Labour Markets: Potential of the CSME for Reducing Gender Disparities. Hall, K. & Chuck-A-Sang, M. (eds.). CARICOM Single Market and Economy: Genesis and Prognosis, Kingston, Jamaica, Ian Randle Publishers.

2005Petticoat and Coat-tails: The Dialectic of Educational Attainment and Socio-Economic, Political Autonomy and Control in the Caribbean, IDEAZ Vol. 4. Nos. 1&2.

2004Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, In: Regional Report on the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in the Caribbean Community, New York, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

2004The Caribbean Experience in the International Women’s Movement: Issues, Process, Constraints and Opportunities, In: Gender in the Twenty-First Century: Caribbean Perspectives, Visions and Possibilities, Kingston, Jamaica, Ian Randle Publishers.

Monographs

2001A Review of Gender Issues in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica. Report No. 21866-LAC. Washington, DC: The World Bank, (Consultant to the World Bank for the development of Chapter 4 on Jamaica)

Selected commissioned reports

Gender Impact Survey, Conducted on behalf of the UWI Mona Campus Strategic Transformation Team and Report presented to April 2007 Academic Board Meeting.

Gender Socialisation, Schooling and Violence in Guyana, Dominica and Grand Cayman, Compiled and edited the report developed by CGDS Staff Researchers, 2006.

Gender Based Violence in Jamaica, Compiled and edited the report developed by CGDS staff Researchers, 2005.

Gender Profile: Jamaica, Prepared for the Japan International Cooperation Agency, 2005

Mercedes Barquet Montané (Mexico)

Place and date of birth

Mexico City, 1947

Working languages

Spanish and English

Current position/functions

Researcher and lecturer, Interdisciplinary Programme in Women’s Studies (PIEM), The College of Mexico.

Since 1991, coordinator of the PIEM specialization course in women’s studies and the master’s degree programme in gender studies, political processes and cultural change.

Main professional activities

Representative of Mexico at the Seminar for Senior Officers of National Machineries for the Advancement of Women, Tokyo, Japan, November-December 1993.

General coordinator for social issues, National Coordinating Committee, Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1994-1995.

PIEM lecturer responsible for the academic agreement “Towards a Culture of Gender Equity” between Mexico and Great Britain, 1994-2001.

Designed the master’s degree programme in gender studies for the postgraduate division of the Department of Development Studies (CIDES), University of San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia, 2001.

National consultant for the democratic governance and gender equality project of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the National Women’s Institute of Mexico (Inmujeres), 2003.

Educational background

Master’s degree in social anthropology, Ibero-American University of Mexico.

Doctoral candidate in sociology, the College of Mexico.

Women’s Studies Program, Princeton University, New Jersey.

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Research, teaching and dissemination of information relating to women’s issues and gender relations.

Research topics include feminist theory, women’s movements and their links with State structures, gender mainstreaming in public policy, and citizenship and democratic governance.

Taught classes in, inter alia, feminist theory, the history of feminist thought, social movements and women’s historical agenda.

Participated in courses at many universities in Mexico and abroad, including Bolivia, the United States, the Netherlands, England and Sweden, and in national and international conferences and seminars.

Most recent publications in the field

Avances de la perspectiva de género en las acciones legislativas. Compendio (Compendium of advances in mainstreaming gender perspectives in legislative actions (editor), Commission on Equity and Gender, Chamber of Deputies, 59th legislative session, Mexico, 2006.

“Desarrollo y ciudadanía incluyente: un marco de derechos para las mexicanas” (Development and inclusive citizenship: a human rights framework for Mexican women), with Sandra Osses, José Luis Calva (editor), Agenda para el Desarrollo: Derechos y políticas sociales (Agenda for development: rights and social policies), volume 12. MA Porrúa, IIE-UNAM, Mexico, 2007.

Niklas Bruun (Finland)

Date and place of birth

1950, Finland

Working languages

Finnish, Swedish, English and Danish

Current position/function

Professor of Private Law, University of Helsinki, Finland

Main professional activities

Director, the Graduate School for Intellectual Property Law (INNOCENT) 2007- (continues);

Professor of Private Law, University of Helsinki 2006- (continues);

Guest Professor at National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm, Sweden 1993-1996, linked to the Institute as an Academic supervisor for EU Labour Law research 1997-2007;

Professor of EU Labour Law, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsinki 1999-2006;

Director, the Centre of International Economic Law, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsinki 1996- (continues);

Professor in Business Law, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsinki 1986-1993.

Educational background

LL.D, Dissertation, Helsinki University, 1979

Doctor of Law H.C, University of Stockholm, 2000

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Commissions of Trust, national

Chairperson of the Equality Board of Finland, 1999 to present

Chairperson of the Committee for a revision of the Gender Equality Act of Finland 2000-2002

Commissions of Trust, international

Member of the Freedom of Association Committee, International Labour Organization 1996-1998, 2005 to present

Representative of the Finnish Government at the ninety-first Labour Conference of International Labour Organization

Expert for EU institutions (the European Commission and the European Parliament), several occasions

List of most recent publications in the field

Various publications include volumes, inter alia, in the area of labour law and gender equality, including Gender Discrimination (1996), Gender Discrimination and Equality (2006), Labour Law (2003, 2006) and International Encyclopaedia of Laws — Intellectual Property Supp lement 5/November (1998). Frequent articles in Nordic and international publications.

Fahima Charafeddine (Lebanon)

Date and place of birth

10 December 1943, Lebanon

Working languages

Arabic, French and English (not fluent)

Current position/function

•Professor in sociology at the Lebanese university

•Vice-President of the Committee for the Follow-up on Women’s Issues (NGO)

•General Secretary of the Arab Association of Sociology

•Scientific Committee member in the Forum Mondial pour l’Enseignement supérieur de la recherche et la production du savoir (UNESCO-PARIS)

Main professional activities

•Researcher in the field of human women’s right, social science and political science.

•Expert in Human rights, Gender mainstreaming in international agencies such as, ESCWA, UNDP, UNIFEM, UNESCO and other.

•Founder and member in several regional and local Non-Governmental Organizations.

•Member in many steering committees, and regional and local social bulletins.

Educational background

•Doctorat Es-Lettres en Philosophie. Université de Paris en 1993

•Doctorat en philosophie politique. Université de Paris en 1981

•DEA en philosophie politique à l’Université de Paris en 1979

•Licence (1970) et Magistere (1978) en philosophie à l’université libanaise

•Ecole normale primaire 1961-1974

•Bac II 1974

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

The preparation of the National Plan of Action for Women’s Human Rights provided to the Parliament and the UNDP. Publication of several studies accordingly to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Beijing declaration, and the implementation of the UN CEDAW convention in Lebanon and other related treaty bodies.

As well as, the preparation of the study on the “Evaluation of the National Committee for Lebanese women” on 2007.

Moreover, preparation of studies to identify the discrimination against women in the curriculum.

Trainer on the CEDAW convention to strengthening the civil society on the content of the convention and the best practices to implement the convention and the CEDAW committee’s concluding comments 2005 and 2008 respectively.

Lobbied and Advocated the implementation of the CEDAW convention with the government, through negotiation, conferences, press release, television’s interview, demonstration.

List of most recent publications in the field

•First and second and third shadow report in the implementation of the CEDAW convention in Lebanon, 1999, 2004 and 2008 respectively.

•Discrimination against women in the intermediate textbooks based on the gender approach, 2008.

•Women and politics in Lebanon, 2008.

•The domestic violence against women, 2008.

•National human women’s rights plan (NHRP), UNDP, 2007.

•Discrimination against women in the primary textbooks based on gender approach, 2005.

•The impact of the Human rights organization’s activities and plans in the Lebanese culture, 2007.

•Second document on the discrimination against women in the Lebanese laws, 2005.

•The participation of the Lebanese women in the political life, 2005.

And many other publications in social and political science.

Mary Shanthi Dairiam (Malaysia)

Date and place of birth

17 September 1939, Malaysia

Working language

English, Malay

Current position

CEDAW Committee Member, 2005-2008; CEDAW Committee, Rapporteur, 2007-2008; Member, Gender Equality Task Force, UNDP, 2007-present; Member, Advisory Panel, Disability Rights Fund, Boston, USA, 2008-present; Member of the Board of Directors, International Women Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW), Malaysia, 1996-present; Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Institute for the Empowerment of Women. Member of the Advisory Committee, Malaysia, 2007-present; The National Advisory Council on Women, Member, Malaysia, March 2005-present.

Main professional activities

•Member of the Board of Directors, International Women Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW), Malaysia, 1996-present

•Executive Director, International Women Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW), Malaysia, 1993-2004

•Project Officer, Women and Development Programme, Commonwealth Secretariat, United Kingdom, March-July 1992

•Programme Associate, Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD), Malaysia, 1988-1990

•Head, Programme and Technical Division, Federation of Family Planning Associations, Malaysia, 1982-1985

Educational background

•University of Sussex, United Kingdom, MA Gender and Development, 1991

•University of Madras, India, MA English Literature, 1962

•University of Madras, India, BA English Literature, 1960

Other main activities relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

United Nations. Trained advocates in Aceh, Indonesia to promote women’s right to equality through law reform that is compliant with the CEDAW Convention, 2007; Trained Governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia in the preparation of their reports to the CEDAW Committee, 2005 and 2007; Did a needs assessment for the implementation of the Convention in Afghanistan, 2006; Trained Governments of Cambodia, Malaysia, Samoa, Tajikistan and Thailand to prepare them for the review of their compliance with their obligations under the Convention by the CEDAW Committee, 2004-2006; Personal Consultant to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for East Timor, October 2000-January 2001;

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Carried out an analysis of the draft Gender Equality Law in Tajikistan to assess comprehensiveness and compliance with the requirements of CEDAW, March 2003; Conducted a review of the compliance of the laws of Tajikistan with the requirements of the CEDAW Convention, August 2002.

List of most recent publications

The Practice of Child Marriage in South Asian Countries: A Gross Form of Gender Based Discrimination and a Violation of Human Rights, July 2006; The Relevance of the Links between Human Rights, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium Development Goals, February 2005; A Rights Based Approach to Women’s Health: Relationship between Research and Policy, October 2004; Building Capacity for Change: Training Manual on the Application of the Principles of the Convention to Promote Women’s rights, Editor, IWRAW Asia Pacific, 2001/2002.

Indira Jaising (India)

Date and place of birth

3 June 1940, Mumbai, India

Working languages

English

Current position/function

Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India

Secretary, Lawyers Collective

Main professional activities

Practicing law in the Supreme Court of India

Editor of Monthly Magazine “The Lawyers”

Director, Women’s Rights Initiative, Lawyers Collective

Educational background

L.L.M., University of Bombay

Solicitor, High Court of Bombay

B.A. University of Bangalore, Karnataka

Fellowship, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Worked for National Commission for Women, India

Organized workshops and authored reports on women’s issues

Assisted in drafting a law on domestic violence (Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005)

List of most recent publications in the field

“One Step Closer to Equality” Article published in Little Magazine, 2007

“Staying Alive: First Monitoring & Evaluation Report 2007 on Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005”, LCWRI, 2007

Co-author, “From the Abnormal to the Normal: Preventing Sex Selective Abortions through the Law”, LCWRI, 2007

Madina Jarbussynova (Kazakhstan)

Date and place of birth

10 November 1954, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Working languages

English, Russian

Current position/function

Aug 2003 to presentAmbassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

Main professional activities

Nov 1999-May 2003Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to United Nations

Sep 1998-Nov 1999Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Aug 1995-Sep 1998Counsellor, Head of the Department of Multilateral relations and International organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Dec 1990-Aug 1995Head of the Sector of Interparliamentary relations of the Department of Information of the Parliament of Kazakhstan

Dec 1987-Dec 1990Senior lecturer of the Kazakh State Pedagogical University for Women

Oct 1983-Dec 1987Head of the Division of young scientists of the Central Youth Committee of Kazakhstan

May 1980-Oct 1983Lecture at the Kazakh State University of International Relations and the World Languages

Educational background

1971-1975Kazakh State University of International Relations and the World Languages

1977-1980Postgraduate courses at the Academy of Sciences of USSR (Moscow)

1982-1983Postgraduate courses at London University College, Survey of English

1998Courses at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

2005-2007Faculty of jurisprudence of University named after D. Kunaev

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

–Participated as a member of the delegation of Kazakhstan at General Assembly sessions (51-56), Rio +5 Special Session of the General Assembly, twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly “Women in 2000: equality between men and women, development and peace in XXI century”; twenty-fourth, thirty-seventh sessions of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women;

–Headed delegations of Kazakhstan at forty-ninth to fifty-first sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women, forty-third, forty-fifth sessions of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Annual (2004, 2005) OSCE Human Rights Implementation Meetings, First OIC Conference on Women’s Role in the Development of OIC Member States” (2006);

–Participated as adviser in the work of the UNIFEM Advisory Board (2001-2003), member of the Bureau of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (2001-2002);

–Member of the National Commission on Family Issues and Gender policy —since 1999;

–Member of the Commission on Human Rights under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan — since 2004;

–Chairperson of the Board of the National Fund of SOS Kinderdorf Kazakhstan — since 2007.

List of most recent publications in the field

Author of numerous publications on issues of international relations, human rights, gender equality etc.

Latifa Jbabdi (Morocco)

Date and place of birth

26 January 1955 in Tiznit, Morocco

Working languages

French and Arabic

Current positions/functions

Private consultant in human rights, women’s rights, transitional justice, human development and the gender perspective (Morocco, the Arab region, Africa, the Euro-Mediterranean region, international conferences).

Member of the House of Representatives of the Moroccan Parliament since 2007.

Main professional activities

Permanent expert at the Social Development Agency of Morocco.

Member of the National Consultative Council on Human Rights (CCDH) of the National Human Rights Institute since 2002.

Former member of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER), 2004-2005. IER is a truth commission which was established as part of the transitional justice process.

Member of the National Observatory on the Rights of the Child.

Director and founder of the private preschool and elementary school Sanabil Alfath, Rabat, 1989-1999.

Researcher at the Institute for Study and Research on Arabization, Mohammed V University, Rabat, 1981-1989.

Secondary school philosophy teacher, 1979-1981; private school teacher, 1981-1983.

Editor of the monthly feminist publication 8 mars (8 March), 1983-1995.

Editor of the Arabic edition of Mémorial du Maroc (Memorial of Morocco), 1984‑1988.

Educational background

Doctoral candidate in development sociology, University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Montreal. Topic: Policies on mainstreaming women in development.

Diplôme d’études supérieures (bachelor’s degree) in women’s studies, June 2000, University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Montreal.

Master’s degree in sociology, September 1999, University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Montreal.

Bachelor’s degree in sociology, 1981, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, MohammedV University, Rabat.

Diplôme d’études universitaires générales (DEUG) (first-level university degree) in philosophy, sociology and psychology, 1979, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Mohammed V University, Rabat.

Baccalauréat(secondary school diploma) in modern literature, 1974, Rabat.

Other activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Founding President of Union de l’Action Féminine, an NGO with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, since 1983.

Editor of the feminist publication 8 mars (8 March), 1983-1994.

Founding member of the democratic committee for the coordination of women’s affairs (11 associations). The committee, which focuses on the promotion of women’s political rights, was established in October 1996.

Founding member and coordinator of the national council for the revision of the Personal Status Code (Family Code), established in April 1992 (23 associations and 120 public figures).

Founding member and coordinator of the national committee against violence, established in 1993 (9 associations).

Founding member and coordinator of the follow-up committee on the implementation of women’s rights, established in 1994 (8 associations).

Founding member and coordinator of the national coordinating committee set up to prepare for the World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna in 1993.

Coordinator of the regional conference of African women’s NGOs, which was organized by Union d’Action Féminine in 1993 in preparation for the World Conference on Human Rights.

Founding member of the national preparatory committee for the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995.

Member of the national joint governmental and non-governmental commission established to prepare for and follow up on the Third World Conference on Women, held in Nairobi (1984-1989), and the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing (1994-1996); President of the commission on women in politics and administration.

Member of the joint Government and civil society committee for the development of a national literacy strategy.

Elected the 1996 “Woman of the Year”.

Civil society representative at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Geneva, March 1998.

Coordinator for Morocco and the Arab world of the World March of Women, 12 March 2000, Rabat.

Most recent publications in the field

“Pour une présence plus visible de la question féminine” (Raising the visibility of women’s issues), Anoual weekly newspaper.

“La femme ouvrière marocaine, la double servitude” (Moroccan women workers: double servitude), Anoual.

“De l’Histoire du féminisme” (On the history of feminism), Anoual.

“Le nouveau projet du statut personnel” (The draft Personal Status Code), Anoual.

“La polygamie et la nouvelle Moudawana” (Polygamy and the new Moroccan Family Code (Moudawana)), Anoual.

“La femme marocaine et le travail selon les dernières statistiques officielles” (Moroccan women and work: latest official data), Anoual.

“Les ouvrières des manufactures des tapis” (Women carpet factory workers) (survey conducted in 35 carpet factories in Rabat-Salé).

“La femme marocaine et les élections” (Moroccan women and the elections), Anoual.

“La femme marocaine et la politique, les apports et les blocages” (Moroccan women and politics: contributions and constraints), Anoual.

“Pour un mouvement de masse des femmes” (Working towards a mass movement for women’s rights), Anoual.

“Que les femmes défient les obstacles et luttent pour un avenir meilleur” (Women must defy the obstacles and fight for a better future), Anoual.

“Pour une nouvelle approche de la question féminine” (A new approach to women’s issues), 8 mars (8 March) monthly publication.

“Le socialisme, la cause féminine et les tendances dominantes au Maroc” (Socialism, women’s issues and prevailing trends in Morocco), 8 mars.

“Pour un mouvement de masse des femmes démocratiques” (Working towards a mass movement of democratic women), 8 mars.

“Où va la femme marocaine?” (Where are Moroccan women headed?), 8 mars.

“Pour une meilleure intégration des femmes au développement” (Working towards mainstreaming gender in development), 8 mars.

“Combien de femmes sommes-nous?” (How many women?) (analysis of official data), 8 mars.

“La femme marocaine et les élections législatives” (Moroccan women and the legislative elections), 8 mars.

“Le travail des femmes au Maroc” (Women’s work in Morocco), 8 mars.

“Le féminisme français” (Feminism in France), 8 mars.

“Les instruments internationaux et la femme” (International legal instruments and women), 8 mars.

“Le divorce: droit exclusif de l’homme ou le recours au juge” (Divorce: A man’s exclusive right or litigation), 8 mars.

“La femme ouvrière une présence de poids mais …” (Women workers: How much influence do they really have?), 8 mars.

“Enquête sur les lycéennes” (High school girls: an investigation), 8 mars.

“L’Union de l’Action Féminine”, Anoual.

“Deux cent femmes pour une même cause” (Two hundred women and one cause), Anoual.

“Les femmes dans le mouvement national, le mouvement des femmes sous le Colonialisme: Interview avec Malika El Fassi, la femme qui a signé la charte de l’Indépendance” (The national women’s movement, the women’s movement during the colonial occupation: Interview with Malika El Fassi, the woman who signed the treaty of independence), 8 mars.

“Quels acquis pour les femmes?” (What have women achieved?), 8 mars.

“Quelles stratégies pour l’émancipation de la femme?” (Strategies for the emancipation of women), 8 mars.

“Le parlement et la femme, dossier, interviews effectués avec des députés de l’opposition et le président de la commission parlementaire des affaires sociales” (Women in parliament, interviews with opposition members and the president of the parliamentary commission for social affairs), 8 mars.

“A propos de la division sexuelle du travail” (Division of labour between the sexes), 8 mars.

“La crise des structures familiales au Maroc” (Moroccan family structures in crisis), 8 mars.

Soledad Murillo de la Vega (Spain)

Place and date of birth

Madrid, 21 April 1956

Working languages

Spanish mother tongue

Fluent in spoken and written English and French

Current position/functions

May 1995 to present: Full professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Salamanca.

Main professional activities

2004-2008: General secretariat for gender equality policies, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Government of Spain

1995-2004: Full professor, Department of Sociology, University of Salamanca

1993-1995: Acting full professor

1991-1993: Market research expert

1988-1991: Technical expert in the study unit of the Ministry of Labour

Other:

Participated in various funded research projects.

Participated in various projects with companies and administrations.

Participated in numerous academic conferences.

Supervised doctoral theses.

Educational background

Licenciatura (second-level university degree) in sociology, Complutense University, Madrid, 1981.

Doctorate in sociology, Department of Methodology, Research and Theory of Communication, Complutense University, Madrid, 1993.

Postgraduate course in feminism and the Enlightenment, Complutense University, 1990-1992.

Courses in discourse analysis, QUIPU Analysis Centre (applied psychotherapy centre).

Other activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

General Secretary for Gender Equality Policies. Duties: supervision of two important general departments — the Institute for Women’s Issues (health, education, employment and social welfare) and the Special Office to Combat Gender Violence.

Member of the Spanish delegation that presented the fifth periodic report of Spain to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; participated in conferences of ministers of gender equality under each European presidency; participated as head of delegation in the sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women (2005-2007).

Gave a presentation at the Spanish Senate joint commission on measures for the prevention of gender violence (2001).

Promoter and President of the women’s studies seminar at the University of Salamanca.

Member of the group of experts of the Institute for Women’s Issues (1998-2000).

Member of the master’s programme scientific committee for persons involved in promoting equal opportunities.

Most recent publications in the field

Ciudadanía. Diccionario de Solidaridad (Citizenship. Dictionary of Solidarity). Antonio Ariño (editor), volume II, Valencia, 2003.

Ciudadanía activa: la participación de las mujeres (Active citizenship: women’s participation). Madrid, 2003.

Lo Común y lo propio en las relaciones de pareja (The joint and the individual in partner relationships). Constanza Tobio (editor), Madrid, 2003.

Relaciones de Poder entre hombres y mujeres. Construcción de Roles en la violencia doméstica (Power relationships between men and women. Role playing and domestic violence). Madrid, 2001.

Nuevos riesgos y nuevas formas de pensar el empleo femenino (New risks and new approaches to female employment). Teresa López de la Vieja (editor). Salamanca, 2000.

Marie-Christine Ntagwirumugara (Burundi)

Date and place of birth

28 November 1959, Bujumbura

Working languages

French and English

Current position/function

Member of Burundian Parliament, Gender Focal point in the Parliament

Main professional activities

–Sensitization activities regarding human rights, good governance and rule of law.

–Consultant on gender issues for World Bank, UNFPA, Global rights UNIFEM, Action Aid, UNDP and several local NGOs

–Human rights trainer for several organizations working in Burundi among others, the Office of the Commissioner for human rights in Burundi

–Legal representative of Catholic Lawyers Association

–Co-Founder of the Women Lawyers Association

–Member of the Advocacy network of Women MPs and Ministers for the implementation of the gender-based approach in the Burundian legal instruments

Educational background

1.Bachelor Degree in Law (licence en droit), 2. Certificate in the judiciary reforms regional course, DAKAR 2000, 3. Certificate in gender-based approach, Bujumbura 2000, 4. Certificate in women conflict management, Kigali 2002, 5. Certificate in the eighth training on making governance gender responsive, Manila 2007

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

–Advocacy activities for the adoption of the law on inheritance in Burundi

–Training Workshops on CEDAW

–Sensitization against women sexual abuse and inhuman treatment

–Training on the inheritance, matrimonial regime and donation Code

–Training of paralegals

List of most recent publications in the field

–The regulation of administrative contentious in Burundian legal system, October 1986

–Positive aspects and deficiencies on the protection system of women in Burundi, 2001

–An advocacy instrument for a National Constitutional Gender Council, March 2002

–Training manual on CEDAW and its legal implication in Burundi, November 2005

–Alternative report on the application of CEDAW in Burundi, January 2007

Silvia Pimentel (Brazil)

Date and place of birth

3 March 1940, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Working languages

Spanish, English, French

Current position/function

PHD Professor in the programme of graduation and post-grade studies of Law at Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC)/São Paulo

Main professional activities

Currently, proceeds teaching Law at the Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), where she began teaching in 1973. Also in the programme of post-grade studies of Law

Expert of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW Committee/UN, from 2005 to 2008

Educational background

PHD in Legal Philosophy, PUC/SP — 1977

Master in Psychology of Education, PUC-SP — 1973

Law Degree, PUC-SP — 1970

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Non-governmental

–Founding Member of the Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM), 1987. Member of its Honorary Consulting Council, 2003 — present Coordinator of the Brazilian Section of CLADEM, 1992-2005;

–Founding Member of the International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW), 1985;

–President of the Institute for the Advancement of Equity (IPE) 2003 — present;

–Member of the Director Council of Commission of Citizenship and Reproduction (CCR);

Selected advocacy experiences

–Author of “The New Civil Statute of Women”, a proposal for changing the Brazilian Civil Code. Presented to the National Congress in 1981, it was included in the reform of the Brazilian Civil Code in 2002;

–Participation in the drafting process of the Brazilian Constitution, as one of the six women who wrote the historical “Women’s Letter to the Constituents”, in August of 1986.

List of most recent publications in this field

1.“Education and Legal Literacy”. In “The Circle of Empowerment”— CEDAW Book 25th Anniversary, organized by Cees Flinterman and Beate Schopp-Schilling, Feminist Press, NY, 2007;

2.“Legitimate Defense of Honour, or Murder with Impunity?” — critical study of legislation and case law in Latin America by Silvia Pimentel, Valeria Pandjiardian and Juliana Belloque, edited by Lynn Welchman and Sara Hossain, ZED BOOKS, London, 2005.

Victoria Popescu (Romania)

Place and date of birth

Bucharest, Romania

23 August 1951

Working languages

English, French

Current position/functions

September 2004-present: Ambassador of Romania to the Kingdom of Sweden.

1999-present: Member of the Romanian inter-ministerial consultative commission on equal opportunities for women and men.

Main professional activities

Interpreter; French and English teacher. 1990-present: Diplomat specializing in human rights and world affairs. 1994-1999: First Secretary and Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations. 1999-2000: Deputy director for human rights and the Council of Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2000-2004: Director and Director General for the United Nations and world affairs, Ambassador of Romania to the Kingdom of Sweden.

Participation in world conferences: Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 2005.

2002 International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico.

Conferences on human rights and gender equality under the auspices of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Council of Europe and Organization of la Francophonie.

Participated in the drafting and presentation of national reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Human Rights Council.

Educational background

Department of Foreign Languages (French/English section), University of Bucharest, 1971-1976.

Postgraduate studies: proficiency course in English, Oxford, 1991; international relations (Romania, 1993-1994; Netherlands, 1994).

Other activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

International positions: member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (2003-2006); Vice-Chairperson of the Committee (2003-2004); Chairperson of the Consultative Committee of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) (1998-2000); Rapporteur and Vice-Chairperson of the Third Committee of the General Assembly (1996-1997, 1998-1999); alternate member of the United Nations Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (2000-2006).

Facilitator of United Nations resolutions on the advancement of women and facilitator of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1997-1999).

Resource person on the Convention at expert meetings (Bratislava, 2005; Bangkok, 2006).

Panel member on “Power and Gender”, Council of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy (Stockholm, June 2007).

Most recent publications in the field

Articles and studies on gender equality and human rights.

Speeches and presentations on human rights and gender equality at international conferences.

Presentations on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women for NGOs and women’s associations in Romania and Sweden.

Zohra Rasekh (Afghanistan)

Date and place of birth

7 February 1964, Kabul, Afghanistan

Working languages

English, Farsi/Dari

Current position/function

Leading the Office Human Rights & Women’s International Affairs, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Advising the Foreign Minister on issues related to gender and human rights.

Main professional activities

Advising the government in formulating its policies and actions on issues related to gender and human rights to the international and donor community.

Liaising with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Afghan Human Rights Commission, and international organizations in the areas of gender and human rights.

Monitoring and reporting on gender and human rights activities by local and international agencies and NGOs.

Mobilizing resources and technical expertise to advance needs in the area of gender and human rights in Afghanistan.

Leading the international human rights treaty reporting process for the Government of Afghanistan.

Reviewing and referring of individual cases of women victims of violence or injustice outside Afghanistan borders.

Educational background

Masters of Public Health, May 1994, The George Washington University, School of Medicine & Healthcare Sciences, Washington, D.C.

B.A. in Sociology — December 1989, The George Washington University, Columbian College, Washington, D.C.

Fellowship — January 2006, Women & Public Policy Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned

Active member of the following: US-Afghan Women’s Council, the Afghan Commission on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the human rights advisory group, the review board on CEDAW (government and SC group reviewing CEDAW against Afghanistan laws).

Leading: a capacity-building project for the international human rights treaty reporting, including CEDAW; women and girls trafficking projects, and seminars on women rights from the perspective of Islam.

List of most recent publications in the field

Women’s Health and Human Rights in Afghanistan

Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA)

The Taliban’s War on Women: A Health and Human Rights Crises in Afghanistan

Physicians for Human Rights

Education, A Health Imperative: The Case of Afghanistan

François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health & Human Rights, Harvard Publication

Health and Human Rights of Adolescent Girls in Afghanistan

Journal of American Medical Women ’ s Association (JAMWA)

In this Generation: Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies for a Youthful World

PAI Publishing

Xiaoqaio Zou (China)

Date and place of birth

22 February 1952, Jiangsu Province, China

Working languages

Chinese and English

Current position/function

Director General, Department of International Affairs, All-China Women’s Federation

Senior Gender Advisor, State Council Working Committee on Women and Children

Member, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women 2005-2008

Other positions

Vice President, China NGO Network for International Exchanges

Executive Board Member, China Human Rights Studies Society

Council Member, China United Nations Association

Main professional activities

1.Advocate and trainer on CEDAW Convention, State obligations, CEDAW concluding comments and general recommendations to the Governments of China and Viet Nam.

2.Gender Advisor to the Chinese Government and trainer on women’s human rights and CEDAW Convention to local government officials, law-enforcement officials, women professionals and the general public.

3.Facilitator and coordinator of China-Australia and China-Sweden cooperative projects on anti-domestic violence, anti-trafficking in women and children, capacity-building and gender-mainstreaming.

4.Key note speaker at the China-Canada, China-EU, China-Australia, China-Canada-Norway and China-Sweden human rights dialogue.

5.Alternate representative and advisor of the Chinese delegation to the Third World Conference on Women, the Fourth World Conference on Women, the 23rd special session of the United Nations General Assembly, the International Conference on Population and Development and sessions of United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Human Rights.

Educational background

1986	Diploma, University of Los Andes, Colombia
	Methodology, data collection and data analysis
1985	Diploma, University of Chicago, United States
	Sociology, women studies
1978-1980	Diploma, University of Canberra, Australia
	History, politics and literature
1971-1975	BA in British Literature, Beijing Foreign Studies University

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treatybody concerned

1. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

2004-2008	Coordinator and trainer for training programmes on women’s human rights, gender equality, gender-mainstreaming, gender responsive budgeting and the CEDAW Convention
2003	Member of the expert committee on the 5th and 6th Periodic Report of China on the Implementation of the CEDAW Convention
2002	Head of Chinese delegation to the 2nd Regional Conference on Illegal Movement: the Case of Trafficking in Women and Children
1999	Alternate representative of the Chinese delegation to CEDAW’s 12th Session on the consideration of China’s 3rd and 4th Periodic Report
1997	Member of the drafting committee of China’s 3rd and 4th Periodic Report on the Implementation of the CEDAW Convention

2. Gender issues

2006	Attending the 6th East Asia Women’s Forum and the First ASEAN Women’s Forum in Beijing
2005	Member of the Organizing Committee of the 10th Anniversary Commemoration of UN 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing
2004	Organizer of the Global Conference of Women Entrepreneurs in Beijing
2001-2003	Member of the Coordinating Committee of APEC Women Leaders’ Network
1996	Personal Representative of the First lady of China to the 1st Meeting of RSC-AP on the Economic Advancement of Rural and Island Women
1995	Working with China Organizing Committee for the 4th World Conference on Women
1994	Adviser of the Chinese delegation to the Second Asia and the Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development

List of most recent publications

Won the Award of “Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Aspects and Human Rights” in April 2004 by the China Human Rights Foundation.

“The footsteps of civilization”, Beijing, vol. 2, Human Rights Journal, 2004.

International Women ’ s Movement and Organizations, Beijing: China Women’s Press, 2001.

Editor-in-chief, Chinese Women at the ‘ 95 NGO Forum on Women, Beijing: Chinese Women’s Press, 1996.