Women's Rights Action Network Australia Submission to the Office for the Status of Women on the ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTIONAL PROTOCOL to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women ************************************ PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS THROUGH YOUR NETWORKS The WRANA submission on the Optional Protocol to CEDAW has been lodged with the Office of the Status of Women with the list of endorsements below. Submissions closed on 18 December 1998. IT ISN'T TOO LATE TO ENDORSE THE WRANA SUBMISSION. The submission and endorsement form are on the web at <http://www.nwjc.org.au/wrana/> Endorsements are being taken until 5pm 14 January 1999. Any endorsements received up until this time will be presented directly to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women, Sen. Jocelyn Newman. The endorsement form is also at the bottom of this email. Caitlin Reiger WRANA Please email the completed form to [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or fax to attention Caitlin Reiger fax: 03 9670 2723 ************************************* Running list of endorsements 18/12/98 <http://www.nwjc.org.au/wrana/schedule.htm> NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS Asian Women's Human Rights Council Australian Federation of University Women Australian Greens Australian National Committee on Refugee Women Australian Women's Health Network Australian Women's Intra Network Community Aid Abroad National Council of Single Mothers and their Children National Pay Equity Coalition National Women's Justice Coalition The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (Australia) Women with Disabilities Australia Women's Electoral Lobby Australia Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (SA) Women's Rights Action Network Australia Womensport Australia STATE BASED ORGANISATIONS Adelaide Central Community Health (SA) Association of Women Educators (Qld) Australian Education Union (VIC) Bessie Smyth Foundation (NSW) Centre Against Sexual Assault House (VIC) Court Support Scheme (NSW) Darebin Community Legal Centre Inc Domestic Violence Advocacy Service (NSW) Domestic Violence Resource Service (McKay and Region) Inc (QLD) Doris Women's Refuge Inc (ACT) Dubbo Women's Housing Programme (NSW) Dubbo/Wellington Domestic Violence Law Institute of Victoria Manning District Emergency Accommodation (NSW) Network of Women in Further Education (VIC) Northern Centre Against Sexual Assault (Vic) Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre (NSW) Nyarlu Miyarnamalgu/Indigenous Women's Legal Outreach Service Patricia Giles Centre (WA) Top End Women's Legal Service (NT) UNAA Status of Women Committee (VIC) United Trades & Labour Council (SA) Victorian Women Lawyers Victorian Women With Disabilities Network (VIC) Welfare Advocacy Service (WA) Western Australia Centre for Research for Women (WA) Whitsunday Sexual Assault Service (QLD) Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women's Legal Centre (NSW) Women's Centre for Health Matters (ACT) Women's Electoral Lobby Tasmania Women's Electoral Lobby Victoria Women's Electoral Lobby Wagga Wagga Group (NSW) Women's Electoral Lobby Young Feminist Group (VIC) Women's Equal Opportunity Area Collective, University of Queensland Student Union Women's Legal Centre (ACT) Women's Legal Resource Group (Vic) YWCA (Victoria) YWCA of Canberra (ACT) INDIVIDUALS Ann Drummond Ann Robertson Anna Murray Anne Lewis Annie Goldflam Caitlin Reiger Caitlin Barrah Carole Moschetti Caroline Lambert Carolyn Money Cassandra Goldie Catherine Gow Cathy Picone Cherie Creris Christin Allen-Laird Christine Foreman Coral Sampson Deb Foskey Diane B Alley Dianne Otto Dr Mary E Crock Eileen Pittaway Elisabeth Mulder Eliza Collier Elizabeth Bishop Elizabeth Crock Elsie Gordon Elspeth McInnes Eunice Donovan Evelyn McWilliams Gail Hunt Gaye Carson Hanna Jenkin Hatice Hussein Helen Keleher Helen Leonard Jan Roberts Jen Midkiff Jenni Dean Jill Sanguinetti Jo Fuller Jo Wainer Jocelynne Scutt June Lennie Kammeron Cran Kate Halliday Kathryn Seymour Kedy Kristal Kym Merriman Leonie McGuire Lesley McFarlane Lia Kent Linda Hancock Lisa Heap Madeleine Shaw Mandy Johnston Marg D'Arcy Marg Hutton Margaret Cooper, OAM Margaret Sargent Marilyn Marvelli Mary Freer Maryan Tozer Meita Scott Meredith Doig Merrin Mason Michelle Hogan Noreen Young Padma Raman Patricia Crews Paula Pope Rachael Martin Sally Gibson Sarah Miller Sarah Stewart Shannon Kerrigan Sharan Burrow Shirley Cook Shirley Randell Stella Tarrant Susanne Martain Therese MacDermott Toni Lawson Velvy Holden Vicki Toovey Viela Toovey Viki Rutter Zenith Virago ***************** Women's Rights Action Network Australia <http://www.nwjc.org.au/wrana/> Call began 10 Dec. '98 - ends 5pm Melbourne time 14 January '98 CALL FOR ENDORSEMENTS for WRANA submissions: 1. on the DRAFT OPTIONAL PROTOCOL to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and 2. on proposed modification to AUSTRALIAN RESERVATIONS to CEDAW The endorsement form is below. You are invited to endorse both or either of these submissions. DRAFT OPTIONAL PROTOCOL WRANA has prepared this submission to the Office of the Status of Women in relation to the draft Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The Australian Government is preparing its position on the draft text of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW and the draft Optional Protocol will be considered further at the next meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women which is in New York in March 1999. The Optional Protocol is an enforcment mechanism for the rights and obligations contained in the Convention. It has a complaints procedure to enable women to take their cases to the UN; and an inquiries procedure to enable the Committee to investigate serious or systemic human rights violations against women. The submission calls on the Government to support a strong role for the Australian delegation at the drafting session, and to lobby for an effective and transparent complaints procedure with as broad a definition of standing as possible (ie. that individuals, groups of individuals and organisations be able to submit cases); and for inquiries procedure which enables the Committee to investigate systemic or serious human rights violations against women. The full submission on the Optional Protocol is on the web at <http://www.nwjc.org.au/wrana/opprotocol.htm> MODIFICATION OF AUSTRALIAN RESERVATIONS TO CEDAW WRANA has also prepared a separate submission to the Office of the Status of Women in relation to the proposed modification to Australia's reservations to the CEDAW. When the Australian Government ratified CEDAW made two reservations - one of the provision of paid maternity leave, the other on the participation of women in combat and combat related duties. The Government is proposing to modify the second reservation to reflect changes in domestic legislation. WRANA has prepared a paper which welcomes the move to lift the reservation, while indicating no position on whether women should be involved in armed conflict. We also call for the removal of the reservation on paid maternity leave, and for the Government to show leadership at the UN by objecting to the reservations of other states. The full submission on the proposed modification to Australian reservations to CEDAW is on the web at <http://www.nwjc.org.au/wrana/reservations.htm> ENDORSEMENT - WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTION NETWORK AUSTRALIA - Return by 5pm Melbourne time preferably by 14 January 1999 - absolute deadline. I, ............................................................................ ...............................[name and position] of ............................................................................ ................................... [organisation if applicable] address: ............................................................................ ............................................................................ .........................................................State/Territory :....................... P'code ................ Ph: ( ) Fax: ( ) Email: CROSS TO INDICATE WHAT YOU ARE ENDORSING ENDORSEMENT ( ) endorse the WRANA submission to the Office of the Status of Women on the draft Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). ( ) endorse the WRANA submission to the Office of the Status of Women on the proposed modification to Australian reservations to CEDAW I endorse as (tick as appropriate) ( ) an individual ( ) on behalf of my organisation [You may endorse in both capacities]. Signed:................................................................. .... .................................... on [date] ...................................... Please email the completed form to [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or fax to attention Caitlin Reiger fax: 03 9670 2723 end ============== Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html The Year 2000 Bug - An Urgent Sustainability Issue http://www.peg.apc.org/~psutton/grin-y2k.htm
