Women's Rights Action Network Australia http://www.nwjc.org.au/wrana Call began 10 Dec. '98 - ends 5pm Melbourne time Wednesday 16 Dec. '98 PLEASE CIRCULATE WRANA is calling for endorsements preferably by Wednesday 16 December 1998. Endorsements received by this date will be listed in the submission presented to OSW. However, if you are unable to endorse the submission by this time, endorsements will be collected until 14 January 1999 for presentation directly to the Minister. 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 Wed. 16 December 1998 or by 14 January 1999 as the absolute deadline. I, ............................................................................ ..... [name and position] of ............................................................................ ........... [organisation if applicable] address: ............................................................................ ........................................ ............................................................................ ......State/Territory: ....................... P'code ................ Ph: ( ) Fax: ( ) Email: TICK 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] or fax to attention Caitlin Reiger fax: 03 9670 2723 Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List As vilified, slandered and attacked by One Nation mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
