3.In a note dated 28 March 2014, the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations Office at Geneva informed the Secretariat of the decision of its Government to withdraw the nomination of Sapana Pradhan-Malla as a candidate for election to the Committee.
4.The curricula vitae of the candidates, as provided by their Governments, are contained in annex III.
Annex I
List of the 12 members of the Committee whose terms expire on 31 December 2014
|
Member |
Country of nationality |
|
Ayşe Feride Acar |
Turkey |
|
Olinda Bareiro-Bobadilla |
Paraguay |
|
Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani |
Algeria |
|
Naéla Gabr |
Egypt |
|
Ruth Halperin-Kaddari |
Israel |
|
Yoko Hayashi |
Japan |
|
Ismat Jahan |
Bangladesh |
|
Violeta Neubauer |
Slovenia |
|
Pramila Patten |
Mauritius |
|
Maria Helena Lopes de Jesus Pires |
Timor-Leste |
|
Patricia Schulz |
Switzerland |
|
Dubravka Šimonović |
Croatia |
Annex II
List of the members who will continue to serve on the Committee until 31 December 2016
|
Member |
Country of nationality |
|
Noor Al-Jehani |
Qatar |
|
Nicole Ameline |
France |
|
Barbara Evelyn Bailey |
Jamaica |
|
Niklas Bruun |
Finland |
|
Hilary Gbedemah |
Ghana |
|
Nahla Haidar |
Lebanon |
|
Dalia Leinarte |
Lithuania |
|
Theodora Oby Nwankwo |
Nigeria |
|
Silvia Pimentel |
Brazil |
|
Biancamaria Pomeranzi |
Italy |
|
Xiaoqiao Zou |
China |
Annex III
* Curricula vitae are issued without formal editing.
Curricula vitae of candidates *
Ayşe Feride Acar (Turkey)
Date and place of birth
14 January 1948, Bursa, Turkey
Working languages
English, French (reading)
Current position/function
•Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey.
•CEDAW Committee Member.
Main professional activities
•Professor of Political Sociology (since 1994) and Chairperson (2001-2007), Department of Political Science and Public Administration, METU.
•Professor and Founding Chairperson (1994-2002), Gender and Women’s Studies, METU.
•CEDAW Committee Member (1997-2004); Chairperson (2003-2004); Member (since 2011).
•Independent expert member (appointed by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe), Council of Europe Task Force to Combat Violence Against Women, including Domestic Violence (2006-2008).
•Turkish representative in CAHVIO, Ad-Hoc Committee for the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) (2009-2010).
•Turkish team leader for QUING (EU FP6 project, 2006-11) and EGERA (EU FP7 project, from 2014) on gender equality and women’s rights.
Educational background
•PhD in Sociology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa., USA, 1976.
•MA in Sociology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa., USA, 1973.
•BS in Sociology, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey, 1970.
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Scientific Committee member and consultant for the following projects:
•Fostering an Enabling Environment for Gender Equality in Turkey, UNDP-Turkish Parliament Joint Project (2012-2013)
•Women’s Human Rights Training for Conscripts of the Turkish Armed Forces (Mehmetçik), UNDP-EU-Turkish General Staff Joint Project (2012-2014)
•Prevention of Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey, EU Technical Assistance Project (from 2013)
•Supporting Turkey’s Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking and Promote Access to Justice for All Trafficked Persons, IOM, EU and Turkish Ministry of Interior Joint Project (2008-2009)
•Advocate and trainer for government officials, jurists and civil society activists (MENA, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia) in international and national projects
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•Acar, F. & G. Altunok (2013), “The ‘Politics of Intimate’ at the Intersection of Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Conservatism in Contemporary Turkey”, Women’s Studies International Forum, vol. 41 (1) pp. 14-23.
•Acar, F. & Y. Erturk, (2011) “Women’s Human Rights: International Standards, Advances and Problems, in S. Sancar (ed.) Feminist Studies in Turkey in the 21st Century, Koç University Publications, Istanbul (in Turkish).
•Acar, F. & G. Altunok (2012), “Understanding Gender Equality Demands in Turkey: Foundations and Boundaries of Women’s Movements in Gender and Society”, in S. Dedeoğlu and A.Y. Elveren (eds.), Gender and Society in Turkey: The Impact of Neoliberal Policies, Political Islam and EU Accession, IB Tauris, London.
Gladys Luisa Acosta Vargas (Peru)
[Original: Spanish]
Date and place of birth
24 July 1951, Cusco, Peru
Working languages
Spanish, English, French and Portuguese
Current position/function
Retired staff member of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and international consultant
Main professional activities
•Chief of the Latin America and Caribbean Section, UN-Women (2008-2011)
•UNICEF Representative in Argentina (2006-2008)
•UNICEF Representative in Guatemala (2002-2006)
•Regional Adviser on Gender Equality and Adolescence, UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (1999-2002)
•Law Professor, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá (1993-1995)
•Programme Director, Gender and Power Project, Instituto Latinoamericano de Servicios Legales Alternativos (ILSA), Bogotá, Colombia
•Director General, Centro de la Mujer Peruana Flora Tristán (1990-1992)
Educational background
•Law degree (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú)
•Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in sociology (University of Paris V, Sorbonne, France)
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•1992-1999 International consultant for UNIFEM, UNICEF, Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, United Nations Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD), Novib, International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Quebec, Canada), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Women’s Human Rights Net (WHRNet).
•1994-1995 Researcher on the team examining the relationships between States and NGOs in preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995; research sponsored by UNIFEM-Andean Region and the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.
•1994-1995 Legal researcher for the report on domestic violence (Latin America and the Caribbean) under the direction of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, for submission to the Commission on Human Rights.
List of most recent publications in the field
•“Le Droit International des Enfants et des Femmes. Une evolution historique et sociale”. UNICEF. University of Bordeaux, France. Actes des colloques 2003-2004.
•“Cambios legislativos en la formación y disolución de familias: una mirada de contexto”. Familias y políticas públicas en América Latina. Naciones Unidas. Santiago de Chile, 2007.
•“La CEDAW y la Convención sobre los Derechos de la Niñez: Derechos Humanos constructores de ciudadanía y democracia. Serie Documentos de Trabajo. Número 5. UNICEF — México. November, 2001.
Sawsan Al-Barrak (Iraq)
Date and place of birth
24 September 1960, Iraq
Working languages
Arabic and English
Current position/function
•Assistant Director-General for Monitoring Performance and Rights Protection, Ministry of Human Rights, Iraq
Main professional activities
•Participating in the preparation of the annual work plan of the Ministry of Human Rights and supervising the implementation of the work plan of the Monitoring Performance and Rights Protection Directorate.
•Coordinating the preparation of special reports by inspection groups and monitoring violations of the rights to work, health, education, housing, and other rights.
•Representing the Ministry in inter-ministerial committees dealing with issues related to women and persons with special needs and rights.
•Providing advice on draft amendments to laws related to economic, social and cultural rights.
•Preparing official responses for the Ministry on questions concerning the international and domestic protection of the rights of the child, women, minorities, and persons with special needs.
•Cooperating with Iraqi universities and international organizations in preparing national strategies or draft amendments to laws that discriminate against specific groups of persons.
•Representing the Ministry of Human Rights on the Family Protection Committee, in coordination with UNDP.
•Representing the Ministry of Human Rights on the Committee in charge of preparing the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women (2013-2017), supported by UNFPA.
Educational background
•B. Ac Degree in Law (2011), College of Law, Al-Turath University, Baghdad
•B. Sc Degree in Chemical Engineering (1984), University of Technology, Baghdad
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Head of drafting committee for the Iraqi CCPR report (to be examined in 2015).
•Member of drafting committee for the Iraqi CEDAW and UPR reports (examined in 2014).
•Supervising the preparation of Iraq’s periodic reports under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and follow-up thereto.
•Member of the committee within the Ministry of Human Rights in charge of implementing the National Plan on Human Rights.
List of most recent publications in the field
•Prepared the annual report on the situation of Iraqi women, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
•Prepared the annual report of the situation of Iraqi children, 2011.
•Research on the religious-political struggle and its impact on Iraqi women’s rights.
•Case study on the low awareness of Iraqi women about elections.
Bahiya Aljishi (Bahrain)
Date and place of birth
18 April 1945, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Working languages
Arabic and English
Current position/function
•Member of the Shura Council (Appointed Chamber of Parliament), Second Deputy Chairman of the Council.
•Member of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW).
•Member of the Arab Parliament.
Main professional activities
•Member of the Arab Council for Childhood and Development, Cairo, Egypt, since 1988.
•Member of the Arab Network for Gender and Development (ANGAD), Arab Centre for Studies and Research (Kawtar), Tunisia.
•Founding Member of the Bahraini Society for Child Development, Kingdom of Bahrain.
•Head of the Committee for drafting the National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 1999.
•Member of the Board of Trustees, Arab Network for Non-Governmental Organizations, 1997-2001.
•Elected Chairperson of the Higher Technical Committee on Childhood of the Arab League in 1995, 1997 and 1999.
•Supervisor of Women and Children’s programmes in Bahrain Television.
Educational background
•Doctorate of Education (Cum Laude), Boston University, USA.
•M.A. in Politics and History of the Middle East Status of Women in Islamic Shariaa, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, England.
•B.A. in Arabic Literature, Faculty of the Arts, University of Cairo, Egypt.
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Member and elected 2nd Vice President of the Coordinating Committee for Women Parliamentarians, Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), 2004-2008.
•Member of the Board of Trustees of the Women and Children Information Centre, Mother and Child Welfare Society, 1997-2010.
•Member of the Committee in charge of drafting the National Report of Bahrain for the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995.
•Member of the Committee for drafting the National Strategy for the Advancement of Bahraini Women, Supreme Council for Women (SCW), Bahrain.
•Provides consultations and voluntary expertise to a number of civil societies working in the fields of women and children.
•Member of the Committee of H.R.H. Princess Sabika Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa for Empowering Bahraini Women.
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•“The Status of Women in a Democratic Society: The Kingdom of Bahrain as an Example,” The Turkish Policy Quarterly, 2012.
•“Women’s Rights between Theory and Reality,” Institute for Political Development, Bahrain, 2009.
•Participated in drafting the “National Strategy for the Advancement of Bahraini Women,” Supreme Council for Women (SCW), Bahrain, 2004.
•Inclusion of Women’s Needs in Government Programs, The First National Conference For Bahraini Women (SCW), 2010.
Magalys Arocha Domínguez (Cuba)
[Original: Spanish]
Date and place of birth
8 January 1958, Pinar del Río, Cuba
Working languages
Spanish and English
Current position/function
Regional Coordinator of the Women's International Democratic Federation (WIDF) for the Americas and the Caribbean
Main professional activities
•Professor of philosophy at the higher teaching institute level (1982-89).
•Member of the Directorate of the Federation of Cuban Women, in the province of Pinar del Río, 1989-1992.
•Elected member of the Assembly of People’s Power in the province of Pinar del Río and Secretary of the Assembly, 1992-1995.
•Head of International Relations, Federation of Cuban Women, March 1995-August 2012.
•Coordinator of the Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, Women's International Democratic Federation, September 2012-present.
Educational background
•Degree in Russian, history and social sciences, Moscow, 1982.
•Specialization in philosophy, University of Havana, 1988.
•Diploma in community engagement methodology, Centro Capacitación de la Mujer, Havana, 1992.
•Diploma in national security and defence, Colegio Nacional de Defensa, 2008.
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Expert on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (2005 to 2012) and member of the Working Group on communications under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (2005 to 2010).
•Presenter at a regional seminar sponsored by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Chile for government representatives from Latin America, 2005.
•Participated in courses, workshops and technical forums on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women organized by the Governments of the Dominican Republic (2006), Uruguay (2010) and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (2006-2012).
•Invited to contribute to the preparatory process regarding the Violence against Women Act of El Salvador (2010).
•Courses and conferences on the Convention organized by the Regional Office of the Women's International Democratic Federation (2009, 2010 and 2012).
List of most recent publications in the field
“Mujeres: protagonistas de movimientos sociales emergentes en América Latina” (Women protagonists of emerging social movements in Latin America and the Caribbean), “Apuntes sobre la teoría y práctica de la institucionalización de género en las políticas públicas en el contexto latinoamericano” (Notes on the theory and practice of gender mainstreaming in public policies in the Latin American context), “Una perspectiva latinoamericana del papel del Comité CEDAW en el treinta aniversario de su institución” (A Latin American perspective on the role of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its thirtieth anniversary), “Nuevos paradigmas democráticos en América Latina: la inclusión de género como condición necesaria” (New democratic paradigms in Latin America: including gender as a sine qua non), “Ética y política desde el movimiento de mujeres” (Ethics and politics of the women’s movement).
Naéla Gabr (Egypt)
Date and place of birth
19/2/1950, Cairo, Egypt
Working languages
Arabic, French, English
Current position/function
CEDAW member and Chairperson of the Committee’s working group on rural women. Lecturer, Research and Thesis supervisor on human rights, women’s human rights and human trafficking. Member of the board for the Joint Program of CCCPA and CMC Finland on Capacity Building on Gender Mainstreaming and UNSCR 1325 in the North African Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Architecture. Training of trainers expert and consultant on gender, human rights and human trafficking.
Main professional activities
Lecturing, research and thesis supervision, Institute for Diplomatic Studies, Cairo Regional Center for Training on Conflict Resolution in Africa (CCCPA), Institute for Social and Criminological Studies, Police Academy. Capacity building and training for peacekeeping forces (AMISOM) on human rights, gender, human trafficking and peacekeeping. Training of trainers (TOT) for social workers and civil society members from Egypt and other Arab and African countries. Advocacy and training for members of Women’s Council and women activists in Arab and Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries on the CEDAW Convention and the Committee’s activities. Working with NGOs, parliamentarians, think tanks, Egyptian Council for Human Rights on methodologies of awareness raising, drafting of reports and action plans dealing with human rights, gender, human trafficking and transitional justice issues.
Educational background
•Masters of Art in International Relations
•Masters of Art in French Literature
•Bachelor of Art in Political Sciences
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Advocacy and awareness-raising through key note speeches and panel membership:
2013:
1-Seminar on the 30th Anniversary of France’s ratification of CEDAW (Assemblée Nationale, Paris), 17 December
2-Consultative Workshop: “Gender equality in agriculture and the rural sector in the near East and North Africa”, Tunis, 18 to 19 November
3-Conference on gender, human rights and water governance in Africa, Pretoria, 25 to 26 September
2012:
1-“Women and Democratic Transition in Egypt”, Dialogue Forum, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 23 to 25 November
2-“The 11th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions, Amman 4 to 6 November
3-“CEDAW — 30 years working for women’s rights”, Istanbul, 1 to 3 November
2011:
Sub-regional workshop on the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Rabat, 15 to 16 March
2010:
“The Womanist International Istanbul Women’s Meeting”, Istanbul, 5 to 6 November
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
2013: Thematic Presentation: Gender and Equality in Agriculture, Tunisia, 18 to 20 November
2013: Thematic Presentation: Gender and Human Rights and Water Governance, Pretoria, 25 to 26 September
2012: Women and Democratic Transition in Egypt, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 23 to 25 November
2012: Thematic Presentation: The International and Regional Human Rights System, Amman, 4 to 7 November
2012: Thematic Presentation: Strengthening the CEDAW Convention, Istanbul, 1 to 3 November
Ruth Halperin-Kaddari (Israel)
Date and place of birth
15 May 1966, Israel
Working languages
English, Hebrew
Current position/function
•Associate Law Professor at Bar-Ilan University, Israel
•Establishing Director of the Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women at Bar-Ilan University
•Member, United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Main professional activities
•Associate Law Professor at Bar-Ilan University since 1992
•Establishing Director of the Ruth and Emanuel Rackman International Center for the Advancement of the Status Women since 2001
•Member of CEDAW since 2007; Vice-Chair 2009-2010; Chair of the Working Group on a new General Recommendation on the Economic Consequences of Marriage and its Dissolution 2009-2013
•Chair of the Advisory Committee to the Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women at the Prime-Minister’s Office 2002-2008
•Head of the Israeli delegation to the 47th to 50th sessions of the CSW 2003-2006
•Member of research group on Religion, Politics and Gender Equality in UNRISD 2008-2009
Educational background
•Post-Doctoral Fellow (1996-1997), Tel-Aviv University, Department of Sociology, Tel Aviv, Israel
•J.S.D. (Doctorate in Law), June 1993, Yale Law School, New Haven, CT
•LL.M., May 1990, Yale Law School, New Haven, CT
•LL.B., June 1989, Summa Cum Laude, Rank 1/80, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Academic Supervisor, Legal Aid for Women in Divorce Clinic at the Rackman Center since 2002
•Member of the following National Committees within the Ministry of Justice: Committee on Family and Rabbinical Courts’ Jurisdiction; The Children’s Rights Reform Committee: the Sub-Committee on the Child Within the Family; the Working Group on Parental Responsibility
•Head of the Israeli delegation and Panelist at the UNECE Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 10-year review of Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing +10)
•Prepared the official combined initial and second periodic reports and the third periodic report of Israel to CEDAW (1996, 2001-2002)
•Co-Founder and Member of Kolech: Religious Women’s Forum; and of the Israeli Association for Gender and Feminist Studies
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•How to Decide in Custody Disputes? The Dangers of Parental Equality Illusion within a Gendered Reality (together with Dafna Hacker), 15 Haifa Studies in Law and Governance 91 (2013) (Hebrew)
•Economic Consequences of Divorce: Applying a Universal Equality Norm in a Fragmented Universe (together with Marsha Freeman), 13 Theoretical Inquiries in Law 323-360 (2012)
•Between Universal Feminism and Particular Nationalism: politics, religion and gender (in)equality in Israel (together with Yaacov Yadgar), 31 Third World Quarterly 905-920 (2010) [translated into French and published under the title “Nationalisme, religion et (in)égalité de sexe en Israël au prisme du droit de la famille”, Cahiers du Genre, hors-série 2012, 119-138].
Yoko Hayashi (Japan)
Date and place of birth
9 June 1956, Mito, Japan
Working languages
English and Japanese
Current position/function
•Lawyer in private practice (Athena Law Office in Tokyo, Japan)
•Specialized in gender-based discrimination lawsuits
•Member, CEDAW (January 2008 to date)
•Chair of CEDAW Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol (2013 to date)
•Alternate Rapporteur for Follow-up on Concluding Observations (2011 to 2013)
Educational background
•LL.B., Waseda University, 1979
•Completed apprenticeship at the Supreme Court Legal Training and Research Institute, called to the Bar in 1983
Main professional activities
•At the national level:
•Member, Specialist Committee on Violence against Women under the Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office (2001 to 2013)
•Member, Investigation Committee under the Cabinet Office on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company (2011 to 2012)
•Visiting Professor of Law (gender and law), Waseda Law School (2004 to March 2009)
•At the international level:
•Member, Japanese delegation to the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (2010)
•Alternate Member, United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (2004-2006)
•Advisor to the Japanese government for the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women (1995)
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Board Member, Japan Civil Liberties Union (JCLU) (1990-2010), Secretary General (1998-2000)
•Advisory Committee Member, Asian Women’s Fund (1995-2003)
•Vice President, Women’s Bar Association of Japan (2002-2004)
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•Hayashi, Yoko ed., We, Women, and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Shinzansha, 2011 (in Japanese)
•Hayashi, Yoko, ‘‘CEDAW — State Responsibility and Remedies to Victims’’, in Gender and Law Society ed., Lecture on Gender and Law Vol. 1 (2012), pp. 139-153.
•Hayashi, Yoko, ‘‘Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Japan’’, Journal of East Asia & International Law, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2013) (in English)
Lilian Hofmeister (Austria)
Date and place of birth
16 October 1950, Vienna, Austria
Working languages
German, English
Current position/function
Since 1998: Substitute Justice at the Austrian Constitutional Court
Since 1998: Chairwoman and founder of the Austrian Women Judges Association (AWJA)
Since 1997: Founding Member of the Austrian National Committee for UN-Women (formerly Austrian National Committee for UNIFEM)
2010-2012: Chairwoman of the Austrian Association for the Access of Women to Justice
1996-2003: Chairwoman of the Working Group on Equal Treatment (Ministry of Justice)
Main professional activities
1976-2010: Career as judge in Austria
1990 to date: Teaching activities on the topic of women’s and human rights and justice in academic institutions (e.g. University of Vienna, University of Linz, Renner Institute)
2010, 2013: Member of the Austrian delegation to the 54th and 57th sessions of CSW, giving presentations at side events organized by the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations in NY
2009: Research Project in South Africa on the national implementation of article 5(a) CEDAW
1997-2003: Member of the Austrian Federal Equal Treatment Commission
1995: Legal expert and member of the Austrian Delegation at the Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing, also participating member in the preparatory process of the Conference
1993: Consultant as legal expert for the Austrian Protection against Domestic Violence Act
Educational background
1973-76Training as judge
1972Doctor juris, University of Vienna
1968-72Studies of Law, University of Vienna
1956-68Primary school and high school (Gymnasium), Vienna
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
2000: Member and rapporteur of the Austrian delegation on the occasion of the establishment of the European Women Lawyers Association in Berlin
1999: Member of the Austrian delegation during the EU-China human rights dialogue in Rovaniemi, Finland: function as legal expert
1993-1997: Substitute Member of the Austrian Federal Equal Treatment Commission
1993-1996: Deputy Chairwoman of the Working Group on Equal Treatment at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice
1995: Consultant of the Austrian Federal Minister for Women’s Affairs, Johanna Dohnal
1985-1993: Member of the Austrian Ministerial Working Group on equal treatment of female civil servants in the judicial system
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
Die kurze Geschichte der Richterinnen in der österreichischen Justiz, in: Pilgermair, Walter (ed.), Wandel in der Justiz, Wien: 2013
Menschenrechte für Frauen und Kinder, in: Arbeitskreis für Gleichbehandlungsfragen, 1/2000
Frauenrechte sind Menschenrechte, in: STREIT 4/1993
Frauen und Rechtswissenschaft — ein Männerproblem, in: Journal für Rechtspolitik 3/1993
Ismat Jahan (Bangladesh)
Date and place of birth
3 June 1960, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Working languages
Fluent: English and Bengali; Basic: Spanish
Current position/function
Ambassador to Belgium and Head of Mission to the European Union; concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to Luxembourg. Member of CEDAW (2011-2014).
Main professional activities
Career diplomat with 30 years of service experience; specialization in multilateral diplomacy with skills in international negotiations and conference diplomacy. Area of focus: Human rights and humanitarian issues and gender matters; Serving in the Permanent Missions of Bangladesh to the United Nations both in New York and in Geneva with direct responsibility for dealing with matters relating to human rights, including women’s rights, and humanitarian issues. Served as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, New York (2007-2009). Currently, as Head of Mission in Brussels, responsible for overall management of the Embassy and spear heading its various activities; articulating strategic and operational plans for implementation of national foreign policy; drafting of policy papers and country statements; representing Bangladesh in various meetings, conferences and seminars at the European Commission and in the European Parliament; networking with think tanks and civil society, including women’s organizations; advocacy on women’s rights at the national level, including coordination with NGOs.
Educational background
•M.S.S (Economics), University of Dhaka, 1982
•M.A. (Law and Diplomacy), Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA, 1986
•Visiting Fellow in Foreign Service Programme, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, USA, 1996 (certificate with distinction)
•Certificate in Spanish language from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, 1986
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Long association with gender issues and promotion of women’s rights while serving in Bangladesh Missions in New York and Geneva; participated in many CEDAW sessions (involved in presentation of periodic reports of Bangladesh) and in the Commission on the Status of Women; contributed to the drafting of Conventions/Declarations related to CEDAW, inter-alia, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child and its two Optional Protocols; Rights of Migrants; Final documents of Rio Earth Summit, Cairo Summit on Population and Development; the Beijing Platform for Action; Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol on Trafficking in Women. As Vice-President of the UNICEF Executive Board (2008-09) and member of the United Nations Peace Building Commission (2007-09), focused on the issues of the girl child and women, peace and security, including the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325.
Presently, as a member of CEDAW, the areas of focus include issues concerning trafficking in women; rural women, minority women; migrant women. Participated actively in the CEDAW Working Group on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations. Currently member of the Working Groups mandated with the drafting of general recommendations on rural women; women refugees and asylum seekers and stateless women; and gender dimension of natural disasters and climate change.
Kheira Mahdjoub-Ouiguini (Algeria)
[Original: French]
Date and place of birth
30 March 1948, Tiaret, Algeria
Working languages
French
Current position/function
Inspector with the Office of the General Inspector, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Main professional activities
•Inspector, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
•Deputy permanent delegate, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
•Deputy Director for International Social, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
•Deputy Consul, Consulate of Algeria, Grenoble, France;
•Director of personnel, training and documentation at a national consulting firm;
•Deputy Director of training and education at the National School of Administration.
Educational background
•Baccalaureate [high school diploma], with a concentration in philosophy, with honours (B);
•Graduate of the National School of Administration, Algiers.
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Founding member and currently advisory member of the bureau of the Association of Algerian Female Professionals, working to support efforts to increase and expand the representation of women at the managerial level;
•Organizer of several lectures and debates;
•Participant in activities on various topics on addressing all forms of discrimination against women.
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
Contributed as an association member to publications on the following topics:
•The employment of women in Algeria and its contribution to the national economy;
•Women and decision-making;
•Women’s handicrafts;
•Women and preservation of intangible heritage;
•Addressing violence against women, particularly domestic violence.
Lia Nadaraia (Georgia)
Date and place of birth
31 May 1957, Tbilisi, Georgia
Working languages
English, Russian, Georgian
Current position/function
•Since 2013 Chairperson of the South Caucasus Women’s Congress (SCWC)
•Since 2003 Director of the International Women’s Political Resource Center
•Since 1998 President of the Caucasian Feminist Initiative
Main professional activities
•1998-present: Directs work of the Caucasian Feminist Initiative in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council — collaborates with and reports to the United Nations;
•1999-present: Coordinates work on establishment and broadening of national women’s political network and the “Women’s Political Forum”. The objective of the “Forum” is to connect women electorate with women in decision-making structures and political parties of Georgia;
•2004-present: Conducts advocacy on gender-sensitive national policies and legislation. Worked on the Anti-Domestic Violence Law (2006), Gender Equality Concept (2006); presented a number of legislative recommendations concerning the increase of women’s representation in decision-making and politics; elaborated a draft of the Gender Equality Law (2010);
•2005-present: Organizes political schools for women — “Women and Local Governance”, “Gender, Politics and Law”, “Women, Media and Elections”, “NATO Summer School for Women”, “The Feminist Summer Schools” (2007-2013);
•2008-present: Coordinates work on awareness-raising among lawyers, representatives of political parties and NGO activists on the enforcement of OP-CEDAW in Georgia;
•2004-2012: Member of the Advisory Council for Gender Equality under the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia;
•2002: Visiting Professor, University of Minnesota, USA — course on “Women in Transition”;
•2000-2002: Professor at Tbilisi State University, Department of Political Science — course on “Gender and Politics”.
Educational background
•2005Training in Diplomacy and State Security, Georgian Institute of Public Administration
•1998Training on reporting to CEDAW, IWRAW Asia Pacific and Columbia/SIPA, USA
•1994-97Ph.D. in General Psychology, Georgian Institute of Psychology
•1989-90Training in Clinical Psychology, New York Institute of Psychodrama, USA
•1973-78M.A. in Psychology, Tbilisi State University, Georgia
•1964-73Primary and Secondary Education, Tbilisi, Geneva, Kano (Nigeria)
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
•1999-2006Presented alternative (“shadow”) reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women;
•1999-2012Actively participated and delivered speeches at United Nations conferences on women’s issues, including the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) sessions;
•1991-2013Coordinated public relations activities and served as spokesperson to the media and the public concerning the policy objectives and programme implementation, including exposure of women’s issues to international, national, and local media outlets. Earliest interviews on women’s human rights in Georgia — Voice of America (March 1990), United Nations Radio (June 1999)
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•Nadaraia, L. (2013). Participation of Women in Public and Political Life. Tbilisi: Tbilisi School of Politics. Print.
•Nadaraia, L. (2012). Promoting IDPs and Women’s voices in Post-Conflict Georgia. Tbilisi: Women’s Political Resource Center. Print.
•Nadaraia, L. (2012). Gender Aspects of Elections. Tbilisi: Women’s Political Resource Center. Print.
•Nadaraia, L. (2011). Promoting Gender Equality in the Education System in Georgia. Tbilisi: Women’s Political Resource Center. Print.
•Nadaraia, L. (2010). Addressing Trafficking in Persons and Domestic Violence in Georgia. Tbilisi: Women’s Political Resource Center. Print.
Sochetra Nhean (Cambodia)
Date and place of birth
2 June 1967 in Battambang Province, Cambodia
Working languages
English and Khmer
Current position/function
•2004-present: Director of Gender Equality Department, Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA)
•2001-present: National Project Manager of the Partnership for Gender Equity, UNDP/MoWA
•2004-present: Head of Secretariat for the Technical Working Group on Gender (TWG-G)
•2008-present: Focal Point of the ASEAN Commission on Women (ACW)
•1997-present: Member of Board Committee of GAD/C (Gender and Development for Cambodia)
Main professional activities
•Advocate and lobby with the decision and policy makers such as senior government and high-ranking officials in the governmental institution for the establishment of Gender Mainstreaming Action Groups (GMAGs) in all line ministries and the development of Gender Mainstreaming Action Plans (GMAPs) in their sector ministries; and mainstreaming gender into all the processes of policies and programmes development to ensure that all national policies and programmes are gender responsive.
•Advocate with government and development partners for allocation of national budget and providing funding support for the implementation of GMAPs of the line ministries during Government-Development partners Coordination Committee (GDCC) meetings and Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF).
•Coordinate with all development partners who are members of TWG-G for funding support to MoWA and other development partners who are members of other TWGs to mainstream gender into their programmes and also provide support to GMAPs implementation in the sector that they are working with.
•Coordinate with all development partners, line ministries, NGOs and CSOs which are members of the TWG-G for the development of TWG-G Action Plan and Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMIs) and regularly monitor and report on the progress of the implementation of TWG-G’s JMIs.
•Strengthen the capacity of women and work with other ministries and agencies to promote more women into decision-making positions at all levels of the civil service and national and local government by analysing procedures and advocate for recruitment and promotion of women into the government, the civil service, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
•Play a role as the facilitator in the National Workshops relating to gender mainstreaming or gender mainstreaming into policy development for members of Gender Mainstreaming Action Group form all line ministries.
•Provide guidance to the project and involvement in designing strategies to ensure the project will reach its objectives; prepare quarterly and annual work plans and budgets for approval by the Project Steering Committee and oversee their implementation; monitor project progress and impact against its work plans and objectives and prepare quarterly and annual project reports; oversee all financial transactions and ensure it is done in a transparent and accountable way and meets international standards and agreed policies; ensure that efficient and effective systems for communication and coordination are built within the project and between the project and key stakeholders, within and outside the MoWA.
Education background
2009-2013: Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law, Panhassastra University of Cambodia;
2003-2008: Bachelor’s degree in Law, Panhassastra University of Cambodia;
1994-1995: Associate degree in Contract Law, Faculty of Economy, Cambodia;
1989-1992: Diploma in Public Administration, Institute of Public Administration, Site 2;
1990-1991: Certificate of Secondary Teacher, Institute of Teacher Training, Site 2.
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
•Participation in the training course on “Enabling Social Inclusion: Gender and Disability Responsive Good Governance” for three months at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, in 2013.
•Participation in the training on the development of the curriculum on Gender and Development in Singapore, in 2013.
•Participation in the process of preparation of the Cambodian reports on the progress of the CEDAW implementation, including the combined initial to third periodic report and the combined fourth and fifth periodic report.
•Participation in the Commission on the Status of Women of ECOSOC, 54th session in 2010 and 49th session in 2005, United Nations, New York, USA.
•Participation in the process of establishment of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) and in many meetings related to the work of the ACWC from 2008 to date.
•Participation in the training on gender mainstreaming and equity focusing on MDGs at AIT, Bangkok, Thailand.
•Participation in a two-week training on Aid Effectiveness Management, University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines, in 2008.
•Participation in a training on Leadership and Conflict Resolution for Senior Managers, Cambodia and Singapore, in 2009.
•Participation in a training on Public Policy for Cambodian Government Officials, Cambodia and Japan, in 2009.
•2006-present: Represented the Cambodian National Mechanism for the promotion of the status of women in several regional workshops and seminars in neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.
•Member of the Cambodian Official Delegation to the CSW/Beijing Plus Ten Conference in 2005; selected by UNDP to be a guest speaker as a representative from the Asia region; round table discussion on Gender Equality at the Beijing Plus 15 Conference in New York, in 2010.
•Presented a paper on Youth in Cambodia at a Conference on Youth in Poverty in Southeast Asia in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2004.
•Presented a paper on Women and IT at a Conference of the ASEAN Committee on Women on Information and Communication Technology in Singapore.
List of the most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•National Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Cambodia submitted to the United Nations CEDAW Committee.
•Written replies to the list of issues and questions of the United Nations CEDAW Committee in relation to the combined fourth and fifth periodic report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
•National Strategic Development Plan 2009-2013.
•Five-Year Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs for 2008-2013 called “Neary Rattanak 3”.
Pramila Patten (Mauritius)
Date and place of birth
29 June 1958, Mauritius
Working languages
English, French
Current position/function
•Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
•Member of Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
•Member of Advisory Panel of African Women’s Rights Observatory — United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
•Chairperson of Working Group on General Recommendation No. 30 (2013) on “Women in Conflict Prevention, Conflict and Post Conflict Situations”
Main professional activities
•Practising Barrister at Law in Mauritius — specialized in Family Law.
•Founder and Member of WLAW (Women’s Legal Action Watch), a non-governmental organization in Mauritius focusing on the promotion and protection of women’s human rights.
•Provides consultancy services to United Nations entities and specialized agencies such as UN-Women, UNFPA, ILO, as well as to international organizations, such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, L’Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie, International Commission of Jurists, in the field of women’s human rights. Consultancy services include: training Government officials, judges, lawyers and other law enforcement officials, NGOs and Bar Associations on CEDAW and its Optional Protocol; conducting mock sessions for Government delegations; providing advice on the drafting of different National Action Plans including on the implementation of CEDAW Concluding Observations; reviewing draft legislation and conducting gender impact analysis of laws.
Educational background
•LLB Honours (First Class), Ealing College of Higher Education, UK (1981)
•Council of Legal Education, Professional Vocational Training, Holborn, UK (1982)
•Called to the UK Bar — July 1982; Member of Gray’s Inn
•Called to the Mauritian Bar — August 1982
•LLM — University College London, University of London, UK (1984)
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Member of the CEDAW Committee since 2003 and Member of the Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol to CEDAW since 2003 to date and its Chairperson in 2004-2005; conducted one inquiry under Article 8 of the Optional Protocol.
•Conducted Regional Consultations in connection with the elaboration of the General Recommendation on “Women in conflict prevention, conflict and post conflict situations” in Thailand, Ethiopia, Turkey, Guatemala and Jordan, March 2012 to January 2013.
•Commissioner on the International Commission of Inquiry into the massacre in Guinea Conakry (2009) — appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General.
•Technical assistance provided to several States parties to CEDAW on different areas covered by the Convention, including Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, Hungary, China, India, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Haiti, Oman, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, Iraq.
•Trained Parliamentarians on CEDAW and the Optional Protocol in Madagascar, Gabon, Tunisia, Hungary, Pakistan, Morocco, Tahiti, Tanzania and Malawi.
•Drafted/reviewed/conducted gender impact analysis of laws for Maldives, Burundi and Turkey.
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•Published several reports, articles and manuals at the national, regional and international levels on: Violence against women; Sexual harassment at the workplace; Women in the informal sector of employment; Comparative analysis of marriage laws; Women and armed conflict; Gender impact of climate change.
•Contributed articles in Passport to Dignity, published by PDHRE (Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights Education); Circle of Empowerment.
Patricia Schulz (Switzerland)
[Original: French]
Date and place of birth
28 July 1949; Geneva, Switzerland
Working languages
French, English, German, Spanish (intermediate level)
Educational background
•Bachelor’s degree in law, master’s degree, University of Geneva;
•Degree in advanced legal studies (social and administrative law);
•Postgraduate certificates, Institute of Development Studies, Geneva, and Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne;
•Admitted to the bar in Geneva.
Current position/function
•Member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and chair of the Working Group on working methods;
•Member of the Board of Advisors of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD).
Main professional activities
•Director of the Federal Office for Gender Equality (1994-2010), setting priorities in gender equality policy (including with regard to domestic violence), collaborating with the administration, Parliament and other stakeholders, including at the international level (United Nations, Council of Europe); developing networks, launching studies and participating in the legislative process;
•Professor of constitutional and general public law;
•Lawyer.
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Head of the delegation of Switzerland to numerous international meetings, including the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women and the European Ministerial Conferences on Equality between Women and Men (1994-2010);
•Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: Coordinator of the first and second periodic reports of Switzerland, head of Swiss delegation presenting them to the Committee, coordinator of the federal plan for the implementation of the concluding observations and recommendations of the Committee. Coordinator of the national process to ratify the Convention (1996-2008).
•Regular participation in continuing education, lectures, publications and media programmes on human rights, gender equality, non-discrimination and domestic violence for a range of audiences (1984-present);
•Co-President of the Swiss Conference of Gender Equality Delegates (2000-2010);
•Expert with the Federal Commission for Women’s Issues (1991-2010);
•Head of the inter-departmental working group drafting the Swiss Action Plan for Gender Equality following the Fourth World Conference on Women (1996-1999).
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), forthcoming in 2014;
•CEDAW and nationality, Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2013;
•CEDAW and racism, Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, 2013;
•Women offenders in the perspective of CEDAW, Penal Reform International, 2013;
•The Contribution of the CEDAW Committee to the fight against violence against women, Human Rights Council, 2013;
•CEDAW and women with disabilities, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2013.
Renata Siemieńska-Żochowska (Poland)
Date and place of birth
22 April 1939, Cracow, Poland
Working languages
English and Polish
Current position/function
In Poland: since 1965 University of Warsaw (Warsaw): full professor, since 1996 chair holder UNESCO chair “Women — society — development”; since 2010 also Grzegorzewska Academy of Special Education (Warsaw): head of the chair “Sociology of Social Change”.
Abroad (in the past): visiting professor in the USA (several times at the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, Santa Clara University, etc. ) and in Canada (Toronto University).
Main professional activities
Teaching and conducting research focused on value systems, ethnic relations, women’s public participation, socialization, system of education, family, gender inequality in the public sphere (politics, labour market) and welfare system.
Took part/taking part in cross-national studies as Polish PI in World Values Survey 1990, 1997, 2005 and 2012 conducted in about 90 countries (being also a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the project); in several projects of the European Commission (EC), e.g. “Women in European Universities” (5th Framework Programme), “Evaluation of LLL Strategies in Europe” (6th FP), Work & Care, Social equality and changing relationships between work, care and welfare in Europe” (6th FP), “Workcare Synergies.” (7th FP), currently “WILCO — Welfare innovations at the local level in favor of cohesion” (7th FP) and “GENDEQU — Gender and Higher Education” (Polish-Norwegian project). Member of the EC experts’ group to evaluate gender distribution of research grants in the EU (2008-2009). Served as member of scientific advisory committees in EC projects, e.g. ENRI-East. Interplay of European, National and Regional Identities: Nations between States along the New Eastern Borders of the European Union” (7th FP), currently in COPE “Combating Poverty in Europe. Re-organising Active Inclusion through Participatory and Integrated Modes of Multilevel Governance” (7th FP).
Educational background
Ph.D. at Jagiellonian University in Cracow (Poland) in 1969, habilitation at University of Warsaw in 1977, title of professor in 1992. Former fellow of the Ford Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies in the USA (University of Michigan) and the Italian National Science Foundation.
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Served as member of the Board of Trustees and as president of the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), expert of United Nations, UNESCO (Division of Human Rights and Peace), the Council of Europe and the European Commission. Member of the Advisory Board of the Plenipotentiary of Equal Status of Men and Women in Poland (1992-2005).
Current member of the Programme Committee of the Congress of Women (the largest NGO in Poland focused on women’s issues). Collaboration with the Office of the Plenipotentiary of Equal Status of Men and Women in Poland.
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
Renata Siemieńska:
•2007 (ed. with A. Zimmer), Gendered Career Trajectories in Academia in Cross-National Perspective. Warsaw: Scholar.
•2008 (Guest editor), Changing Conceptions of Gender, International Journal of Sociology, vol. 38/4
•2009 (with A. Domaradzka), The Welfare State in Poland: transformation with difficulties. W: K. Schubert, S. Hegelich and U. Bazant (eds.), The Handbook of European Welfare Systems, London/New York, Routledge, pp. 378-397.
•2009, Women’s Representation in the Polish Parliament and the Determinants of Their Effectiveness. W: M. Rueschemeyer, S. Wolchik (eds.), Women in Power in Post-Communist Parliaments, Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, pp. 61-92.
•2009, Kobiety w (męskim) zawodzie naukowca (Women in (male) professions of scientist). W: Kobiety dla Polski — Polska dla kobiet. 20 lat transformacji 1989-2009. W-wa: Fundacja Feminoteka, pp. 303-317.
•2012, Dokształcanie i awanse (Lifelong learning and promotions). W: E. Lisowska (ed.), Polityka różnorodności w administracji centralnej (Politics of Diversity in Central Administration), Warszawa:SGH, pp. 81-100.
Genoveva Tisheva (Bulgaria)
Date and place of birth
1 February 1957, Sofia, Bulgaria
Working languages
Bulgarian, English, French, Italian (all fluent), Russian (very good knowledge).
Current position/function
Managing Director of the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation (BGRF), since 1998; Director of the Women’ s Human Rights Training Institute (since 2004), a regional educational initiative for teaching lawyers from Eastern Europe in litigation skills and partnership initiative of the BGRF, the Centre for Reproductive Rights (New York, USA) and the Network of East-West Women (Gdansk, Poland): including teaching on the CEDAW Convention and practice; Chair of the Bulgarian Alliance for Protection against Domestic Violence (since 2009). Member of the European Network of Independent Legal Experts in the Field of Gender Equality (since 2004).
Main professional activities
Overall management, coordination of staff and representation of the BGRF, of the Women’s Human Rights Training Institute (WHRTI), and of the Alliance for Protection against Domestic Violence; Monitoring and analysing the compatibility of human rights and gender equality legislation and policy with European and universal standards. Coordination and drafting of civil society shadow reports to the United Nations treaty bodies and other mechanisms (CEDAW, HRC, CESCR, Universal Periodic Review). Main focus areas: violence against women and girls, trafficking in women, socioeconomic rights of women more in general, access to justice for women, due diligence, temporary special measures, gender stereotyping. Lecturing and training of lawyers in the framework of the WHRTI and the Training Centre on Prevention of Violence of the Alliance for Protection against Domestic Violence. Supporting and bringing strategic cases on women’s rights before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and under the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
Board member of the European Women Lawyers’ Association (EWLA), since 2011, and of Equality Now, since 2013. Member of Women and ESCR Network; and expert of the Due Diligence Project.
Educational background
•1975-1980: Law Faculty of Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridsky”: Diploma Master in Law.
•1991: University “Robert Schumann”, Strasbourg, France: Specialization in EU law and First and Second Cycle Diplomas of the International Faculty of Comparative Law.
•2002: ILO Training Centre, Turin, Italy, The rights of women workers, Certificate of completion.
•2004: Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, The Netherlands: Development, Law and Social Justice, Special Diploma.
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Active involvement in the drafting and campaigning for the adoption of the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (adopted in 2005), for special legislation on gender equality in Bulgaria (since 2000), and in the ongoing legislative reform on gender equality issues. Preparing and presenting alternative NGO reports before the CEDAW Committee (attending the sessions in February 1998 and July 2012). Co-author of the alternative report of the BGRF “Gender Stereotyping: A pervasive and overlooked source of discrimination against women in Bulgaria” to the 52nd session of CEDAW. Coordinating the drafting and publishing of a regional shadow report to CEDAW for South-Eastern European countries (2002). Participation in the drafting of the National Plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the CEDAW Committee (July 2013). Participant in the working group for the preparation of the new Draft Law on Gender Equality (2013). Preparing and supporting cases under the Optional Protocol to CEDAW, such as V.P.P. v. Bulgaria. Active participation in the process of implementation of the Views of the Committee on the Bulgarian cases decided so far.
List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights
•EU Gender Equality Law — update 2013 and Gender Equality Law in 33 European countries — update 2011, Genoveva Tisheva, author of Bulgarian Chapters http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/document/index_en.htm#h2-9
•Monitoring the implementation of the Croatian legislation on domestic violence, AHR/BGRF, 2012, Genoveva Tisheva, co-author http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/uploads/croatia_final_report_2012.pdf
•Breaking the Silence, a report by the ERRC and People in need about trafficking in Romani women and children, including in Bulgaria, legal study on Bulgaria by Genoveva Tisheva, 2011 http://www.combattrafficking.eu/sites/default/files/documents/breaking-the-silence-19-march-2011.pdf
•Feasibility study to assess the possibilities, opportunities and needs to standardize national legislation on VAW, violence against children and sexual orientation violence, EU Daphne project, Bulgarian study, Genoveva Tisheva http://ec.europa.eu/justice/funding/daphne3/daphne_feasibility_study_2010_en.pdf
•Monitoring the implementation of the Bulgarian Law on domestic violence, 2008 AHR/BGRF, Genoveva Tisheva, co-author
•http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/uploads/final_report_2.pdf
AnaTrišić-Babić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Date and place of birth
9 February 1967, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Working languages
English, German, French, Russian
Current position/function
•2007-present: Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina: working on broad range of issues of analytical, expert and supervising nature; representing BiH in foreign relations and bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activities, political consultations; formulating and conducting foreign affairs strategies and policies of BiH; working closely with Embassies and Governments of other countries on a broad range of both bilateral and multilateral issues, with special focus on gender issues and education that fall within those areas.
•2010-present: President of the Commission for NATO-integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the chief coordination body for reform, adjustment and preparation of BiH to join NATO: acting as key person in charge of the process.
Main professional activities
•Assisting in the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and working in co-relation with other Ministries within the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the Ministry of Human Rights (Gender Equality Agency) and the Ministry of Civil Affairs (education, civil and political participation of women, and other vulnerable social groups).
•Member of national/governmental coordinating bodies for conflict resolution, peace building, security issues and women participation.
•Lecturing on the topics of foreign policy, security in the 21st century, the role of gender issues in security, participation of women in conflict resolution, peace building, and peace sustainability.
•2001-2007: Assistant Minister for Bilateral Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
•June 2006: Stabilization and Accession Agreement, Head of Working Group I
•1999-2000: Head of the Cabinet of the President, the Government of the Republika Srpska
•1997-1998: Office of the United Nations High Representative, Advisor for International Affairs
•1996-1997: USAID-OTI, Head of the Project for Media and NGO Sector Development
•1994-1996: Journalist at Radio Free Europe
•1992-1993: Apprentice in lawyer’s office
Educational background
•Department of International Public Law, Faculty of Law, Schiller University, London
•National and International Security Program, Harvard Kennedy School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
•NATO Defense College, Course for High Level Military and Civil Officials
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
•Leading the projects in the Commission for NATO-integration with a focus on peace building processes and direct implementation of UNSC Resolutions 1325 and 2122.
•Drawing public attention in BiH to UNSC Resolutions 1325 and 2122, using the media mechanisms of the Ministry and the Commission.
•Cooperation with NATO on the issues of UNSC Resolutions 1325 and 2122, especially with the NATO Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security.
•Initiated and hosted Round Table titled “Political Empowerment and Participation of Women and Implementation of the United Nations Resolution 1325”.
•Cooperation with the UN-Women Office located in Sarajevo.
•Cooperation with the Gender Equality Agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
•Promoting broader participation and the role of BiH security officers in United Nations and NATO peace building missions.
•Giving lectures on the topic of UNSC Resolutions 1325 and 2122, with special focus on women’s broader political participation.
•Participated and presented papers and speeches at numerous United Nations and other bilateral and multilateral conferences and panel discussions dealing with human rights, specifically women’s and children’s rights, education, security, peace building and peace sustainability.
•Actively promoting broader political involvement and participation of women at all levels of decision making.
•Actively promoting and supporting an increase of the percentage of women in diplomacy.
•Constant and close cooperation with mass media, encouraging women’s political and diplomatic participation, and raising awareness of the necessity of introducing changes within private sector employment policy.