Kathmandu: CEDAW member Bandana Rana shared perspectives on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at the Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation on the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), addressing the session on “Access to Justice – Dismantling Discriminatory Laws,” held at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).
During the session, Rana highlighted the important progress made by countries across Asia in advancing women’s rights, while also underscoring persistent gaps that continue to limit women’s and girls’ access to justice. She urged governments to fully comply with their obligations under CEDAW and Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5).
Key recommendations put forward included safeguarding existing legal gains from political and ideological pushback, closing implementation gaps through meaningful institutional reforms, and addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) as core justice issues rather than peripheral concerns. Rana also emphasized the need to actively dismantle harmful stereotypes that undermine equality, in line with CEDAW General Recommendation No. 41.
She stressed that access to justice is not only a legal obligation but also a true measure of democratic governance and sustainable development, calling for stronger commitments across the Asia-Pacific region.
