English - CEDAW Southeast Asia

CEDAW and the Law:
V.10 ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE (ARTICLE 13 OF CEDAW)
V.10.1 OBLIGATIONS UNDER CEDAW
V.10.1.1 Text of CEDAW
ARTICLE 13
(1) States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against
women in other areas of economic and social life in order to ensure, on a basis of equality
of men and women, the some rights, in particular:
(a) The right to family benefits;
(b) The right to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit;
(c) The right to participate in recreational activities, sports and all aspects of cultural life.
V.10.1.2 General Recommendations
The following excerpt from GR 21 is relevant to Article 13 of CEDAW:
GR 21: Equality in Marriage and Family Relations
Paragraph 7
When a woman cannot enter into a contract at all, or have access to financial credit, or
can do so only with her husband’s or a male relative’s concurrence or guarantee, she is
denied legal autonomy. Any such restriction prevents her from holding property as the
sole owner and precludes her from the legal management of her own business or from
entering into any other form of contract. Such restrictions seriously limit the woman’s
ability to provide for herself and her dependants.
V.10.2 SELECTED INDICATORS
There are many areas of economic and social life. However, the focus for Article 13 of CEDAW
will be on equal participation in business and enterprises, and equal right to access credit.
Other economic and social rights, such as the rights to participate in social activities, to work,
to property including land, to inheritance, and to enter and conclude contracts are discussed
under Articles 7, 8, 10, 15 and 16.
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The selected indicators for economic and social life are:
Indicator 94
Indicator 95
Is there a guarantee for women’s equal participation in business
Is there legislation supporting women’s involvement in setting up
and maintaining enterprises
Do women have equal right to receive credit, loans and funds
Review of key legal documents and compliance with CEDAW