Discrimination Against Women in Law & Practice – UN

Introduction

The establishment of the Working Group by the Human Rights
Council at its 15th session in September 2010 was a milestone on the long
road towards women’s equality with men. Over the years, many constitutional
and legal reforms to integrate women’s human rights fully into domestic law
have occurred, but there remains insufficient progress. Discrimination
against women persists in both public and private spheres in times of
conflict and in peace. It transcends national, cultural and religious
boundaries and is often fuelled by patriarchal stereotyping and power
imbalances which are mirrored in laws, policies and practice.

The Working Group focus is to
identify, promote and exchange views, in consultation with States and other
actors, on good practices related to the elimination of laws that
discriminate against women. The Group is also tasked with developing a
dialogue with States and other actors on laws that have a discriminatory
impact where women are concerned. It is also mandated to prepare a compendium
of best practices related to the elimination of  laws that discriminate
against women or are discriminatory to women in terms of implementation or
impact as well as to undertake a study on the way and means it can cooperate
with States to fulfill their commitments in that regard.  

The five member of the working group
were appointed by the Human Right Council in March 2011 and assumed their
functions on 1st May 2011.