Parliament in Estonia endorses broadening safeguards for women's rights.
Estonia Gains Access to Women's Rights Convention Protocol
Tallinn - In a move towards gender equality, Estonia's parliament, the Riigikogu, approved the nation's accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (OP-CEDAW) on Wednesday.
An impressive 75 Riigikogu members voted in favor of Estonia joining the optional protocol, with no votes against or abstentions. This decision brings Estonia one step closer to ensuring protection of women's rights and promoting gender equality within the country and beyond.
Accession to the optional protocol allows individuals and organizations to submit complaints about violations of women's rights, as outlined in the convention, to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. In the case of persistent violations of women's rights, the committee may initiate investigations and offer recommendations to the accused state parties, encouraging them to uphold the rights stated in the convention and to improve the overall situation for women.
With this accession, Estonia now joins 115 countries that are parties to the OP-CEDAW. Interestingly, the optional protocol came into force in December 2000, making it one of the UN human rights conventions with the largest number of state parties—189 as of last November. Estonia had ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1991.
It is essential to note that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women often reviews state reports and makes recommendations based on its findings. Despite the lack of concrete information about Estonia's recent interactions with this committee in regards to the Optional Protocol, Estonia has previously shown commitment to submitting reports to various UN committees. For example, the nation provided its state report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in 2015, followed by a dialogue in 2016[1]. To gain extensive and up-to-date information about ongoing investigations or recent recommendations from the CEDAW Committee in relation to the Optional Protocol of CEDAW, it is recommended that you consult the most recent reports from the UN CEDAW Committee or official Estonian government sources.
[1] https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-8&chapter=4&lang=en
- Estonia, having ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1991, has now advanced further by ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (OP-CEDAW), which they approved on Wednesday.
- This ratification of the OP-CEDAW protocol places Estonia amongst 115 other countries, contributing to a UN human rights convention with the largest number of state parties—189 as of last November.
- With this action, Estonia extends its commitment to health-and-wellness and womens-health by enabling individuals and organizations to submit complaints about violations of women's rights directly to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
- In adhering to the science-based goals of the OP-CEDAW protocol, Estonia aims to promote a culture of gender equality and protect the human rights of all its citizens, underlining its dedication to the provision of a comprehensive health-and-wellness framework for women.
