English - CEDAW Southeast Asia

CEDAW and the Law:
lic boards and local councils and the activities of organizations such as political parties, trade
unions, professional or industry associations, women’s organizations, community based
organizations and other organizations concerned with public and political life. 340 Thus, to fulfil
the obligations under Articles 7-8 of CEDAW, State Parties must ensure a reassessment of
their whole ‘system of governance’. As CEDAW requires not simply formal equality, State
Parties must look into measures to enable real enjoyment and exercise of the political guarantees
and monitor these measures periodically.
GR 23 also highlights the need to address underrepresentation of women in political
and public life. In this regard, it urges the setting up of temporary special measures as a necessary
intervention as well as other measures to bring about an environmental conducive to
women’s participation. 341 It proposes that 30-35 percent representation of women, which is the
‘critical mass’ that brings real change in political style and content of decisions, must be the
goal aimed for. 342
Bearing in mind, Articles 7 and 8 of CEDAW, as well as CEDAW General
Recommendation No. 8: Implementation of Article 8 of the Convention (1988) (GR 8) and GR
23, the selected indicators for political and public life are:
174
Indicator 53
Indicator 54
Indicator 55
Indicator 56
Indicator 57
Indicator 58
Indicator 59
Indicator 60
Indicator 61
Indicator 62
Is the equal right to vote guaranteed by the Constitution or law
Is there equal eligibility for election for all publicly elected bodies
Are there legislative provisions for temporary special measures,
especially minimum quotas of women in elections at all levels Does
legislature clearly specify measure to support the quotas
Is there equal eligibility for appointment to public positions
Is there legislative provision for temporary special measures, especially
minimum quotas of women in appointed public positions at all levels
Does legislation clearly specify measures to support the quotas
Are women able to access leadership positions in the Communist Party
of Viet Nam
Do women have an equal right to participate in mass organizations,
NGOs and other civil society groups
Is there legislation regulating registration and mobilization of NGOs to
promote the advancement of women
Are these legal provisions on female participation in policymaking and
implementation at the grassroots level
Do women have equal opportunity to represent government at the
international level and participate in work of international organizations
340
Ibid.;
341
Ibid., Paragraph 15
342
Ibid., Paragraph 16
Review of key legal documents and compliance with CEDAW