The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) concluded its 36th session this August 2006. One of the purposes of CEDAW is to ensure that Member States are complying with and implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Georgia was due to submit its periodic report to CEDAW this year. As a shadow report to Georgia's report, the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) submitted their own findings. The NGO report felt that some progress had been made in regard to women's rights in Georgia, but that there is still much work to be done to ensure that all women enjoy the same fundamental rights.
The Committee's concluding comments go further, urging Georgia to create a permanent institution that will focus on discrimination against women and promote equality between the sexes. The Committee also urges Georgia to create and implement laws protecting women's rights. Some of the legislation already created has been postponed and some issues have been left out of the laws entirely. The Committee also expresses concerns about human trafficking in Georgia and says that the country should implement a national plan for preventing trafficking in the State.
Compiled from: World Organisation Against Torture Press Release, Combating Violence against Women in Georgia: The UN Committee on Women's Rights Reiterates OMCT and GYLA's Concerns, 8 September 2006.