CEDAW Packet – A collection of policy recommendations
The CEDAW package provides policy frameworks and recommendations to support advocacy efforts focusing on the work with men and boys.
This series of documents collects existing CEDAW normative frameworks and policy recommendations relevant to the engagement of men and boys in a straightforward and summarized format. The CEDAW Convention is the only binding international agreement dedicated to advancing the rights of all women and girls.
In 2018, MenEngage Alliance held a briefing with the Committee for which it compiled a comprehensive summary document on transforming masculinities and the work with men and boys. Later in 2019, it followed up on this commitment by organizing a High Level Expert Workshop with the CEDAW Committee to further build partnerships with Committee members. For this workshop, and in collaboration with the Global Advocacy Working Group, the Global Secretariat prepared several key analysis documents.
This included a review of the CEDAW’s precedent framing of transforming masculinities and working with men and boys through intersectional feminist approaches, that are gender-transformative and accountable. The analysis noted the progressive articulations of the Committee on this subject, in particular through General Recommendation 35. It also recommends increased reference to the need for accountability in efforts to work with men and boys and to transform masculinities towards gender, social and environmental justice.
Through these knowledge products, MenEngage Alliance sought to support the CEDAW Committee in their critical role of advancing a progressive legal framework on men and masculinities in their future guidance documents. In doing so, they aim to support the Committee in its important mission of holding governments accountable during national CEDAW implementation review processes.
The CEDAW package includes 4 different advocacy tools:
Policy brief: Recommendations to the CEDAW Committee
This policy brief outlines the collective learnings from the MenEngage membership worldwide regarding policy recommendations to advance a gender-transformative, feminist-informed human rights-based frameworks for the work with men and boys in women’s rights and gender justice. Download it here.
Policy brief: Jurisprudence of the CEDAW Convention and General Recommendations
This policy brief analyses the legal framework of the CEDAW Convention and additional General Recommendations guidance, specifically for references to the roles and responsibilities of men and boys, of transforming patriarchal masculinities and of systemic transformation to dismantle patriarchy across key thematic areas (GBV, SRHR, Unpaid Care and Feminist Peace).
This document gathers detailed references to all of the Committee’s recommendations on strategies for working with men and boys to end all forms of discrimination and violence against all women and girls. Download it here.
Briefing note: Engaging men and boys and transforming masculinities for the realization of CEDAW’s Mandates
This document explores global efforts to engage men and boys, transform masculinities and dismantle patriarchal power, as well as how these efforts have been carried out at the normative, global, regional and national levels in both programming and policy contexts. Download it here.
List of issues and Recommendations: Tool for Advocates
The aim of this document is to share recommendations for MenEngage members and partners broadly, on the types of questions that can be used to advocate for more accountability of their governments during CEDAW Committee national reviews.
These questions are shared with the CEDAW committee as part of the advocacy process, in preparation for the CEDAW committee dialogues with governments who are in the process of reviewing progress on the implementation of the Convention.
They can support the Committee to further scrutinize if national policies inclusive of a men and masculinities lens are advancing an intersectional feminist framework. Download it here.
Who will find this resource useful?
The CEDAW packet aims to support the advocacy efforts of MenEngage members, activists and civil society providing sample recommendations that can be suggested to the CEDAW Committee. In addition, through these 4 documents, advocates may find the CEDAW Committee’s general recommendations and jurisprudence relevant to the engagement of men and boys in a straightforward and summarized format.
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About the authors
MenEngage Alliance gathered jurisprudence and general recommendations from the CEDAW Committee. Furthermore, the CEDAW packet compiles collective learnings from the worldwide MenEngage Alliance membership.