To celebrate the 30th anniversary of CEDAW, the UN Asia Pacific Regional Coordinating Mechanism’s Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women organized a photo contest on the theme “WOMEN CAN! – Women’s Rights are Human Rights”. The contest attracted 330 entries from 28 countries in the region. The winning photographs are entries that best depict women enjoying their rights and participating in different aspects of society in the Asia-Pacific region, free from discrimination. This photo exhibit, commemorating 30 years of CEDAW, demonstrates CEDAW in action n the Asia-Pacific.

CEDAW stands for the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. It is an international human rights treaty that specifically addresses the rights of women and girls. It defines principles, concepts and standards of women’s human rights that States Parties to the Convention are obligated to respect, protect and fulfill.

ABOUT THE ORGANISERS

The UN Asia Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism’s Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (TWG-GEEW), co-chaired by ESCAP and UNIFEM, serves as a forum for region-based UN partners to engage in strengthened coordinated efforts to enhance the UN system’s work at the regional level in promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, within the context of the MDGs, the Beijing Platform for Action, and CEDAW as mutually reinforcing processes.