Fifth Interministerial Meeting of the CEDAW Observations Follow-up Committee

Fifth Interministerial Meeting of the CEDAW Observations Follow-up Committee

• The meeting showcased the CEDAW Commission's achievements over the past six years and highlighted key aspects of the 2024 Beijing Platform for Action Report and the 10th CEDAW Report

The Fifth Interministerial Meeting of the CEDAW Observations Follow-up Committee was held on September 9 at the Foreign Ministry. Nadine Gasman Zylbermann, President of the National Women's Institute (Inmujeres), and Joel Hernández García, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Foreign Ministry, led the gathering.

The meeting featured presentations on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Commission's accomplishments over the past six years, along with key elements of the 2024 Beijing Platform for Action Report and the 10th CEDAW Report.

Undersecretary Joel Hernández emphasized the CEDAW Convention's significance to Mexico, describing it as a clear and solid framework for designing and implementing public policies aimed at eradicating all forms of discrimination against women and girls. He added that the incoming administration, which will be led by a woman for the first time, will benefit from two reports highlighting the alignment between national and international agendas.

Inmujeres President Nadine Gasman said that the CEDAW Commission, established in 2018 as agreed by the National System for Equality between Women and Men, addresses recommendations made to Mexico by the CEDAW Committee in response to the country's 9th Report.

"The Commission serves as a coordination mechanism across all three levels of government to fulfill the CEDAW Committee's 73 recommendations. It has achieved notable progress in legislation, justice, violence prevention, and support for indigenous, migrant, and refugee women," she stated.

She emphasized the need for continued efforts in women's political participation, poverty eradication, the care agenda, and combating gender-based violence to achieve substantive equality and non-discrimination.

The meeting highlighted the Commission's achievements from 2018 to 2024, including over 78 meetings addressing challenges and progress; the preparation of three international reports: the CEDAW Midterm Report, Beijing Platform for Action, and 10th CEDAW Report; and follow-up on more than 80 Committee recommendations from 2018.

In May, the Commission also prepared the National Review of the Beijing Platform for Action, commemorating the Platform's 30th anniversary at the United Nations.

Inmujeres presented a summary of 20 gender equality advancements during the current administration, covering women's political participation; poverty eradication; the women, peace, and security agenda; increased gender-responsive budgeting; access to legal pregnancy termination; support for indigenous and Afro-Mexican women; statistics; and measures to combat femicides.

Over 48 institutions and authorities from the three branches of government, all of which have contributed to gender equality policy within the Commission over the past six years, attended the fifth meeting.