General Discussion on “Protection of women in conflict and post-conflict situations” – Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 49th Session

By Stephanie Ortoleva

18 July 2011

The attached paper, its Executive Summary and several appendices are submitted in response to the request from the Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee inviting submissions to provide input into the CEDAW Committee‘s process of elaborating a “General Recommendation on Women in Conflict and Post-conflict Situations,” the purpose of which is to provide appropriate and authoritative guidance to States Parties on the measures to be adopted to ensure full compliance with their obligations to protect, respect and fulfill women‘s human rights during times of armed conflict and in all peacebuilding processes, which includes the immediate aftermath of conflict and longterm post-conflict reconstruction. These comments will respond to the specific items requested by the CEDAW Committee, particularly with respect to their implications for women and girls with disabilities, drawing on provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as well as the Convention on the Rights of Persons 2 with Disabilities (CRPD) and international law. The importance of ensuring the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities is strongly reinforced by the joint study of the World Health Organization and the World Bank, just released 9 June 2011, ―World Report on Disability, which has dramatically increased the worldwide estimate of the prevalence of disability from 10% to 15% of the population, as well as an increased estimate of the numbers of women and girls with disabilities to 19.2%, compared to 12% for men and boys.