The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on November 7, 1967, and ratified by Canada on December 10, 1981.

States Parties are required to report to the United Nations on measures they have taken to give effect to the Convention. Canada’s Sixth and Seventh reports on the CEDAW have been combined into one document and cover the period April 1999 to March 2006. The report explores the measures that have been taken, both on the federal and provincial/territorial levels, allowing interest groups and individuals to see what exactly has been done for women and girls in their regions.

The CEDAW Committee reviewed Canada’s fifth period report in 2003, and despite the measures highlighted in that report, CEDAW raised areas of concern and recommendations and noted that the federal government must taken urgent action to remedy the profoundly unequal status of women in Canada. As of yet, few actions have been taken on the part of the Canadian government, and few recommendation have been implemented to remedy this situation.

In 2002, FAFIA submitted an alternative report to the CEDAW Committee on the occasion of the 5th review of Canada’s report. This report, entitled Canada’s Failure to Act: Women’s Inequality Deepens demonstrated that many laws, policies and programs necessary to ensure women’s inequality have not been implemented, or alternately, have been eliminated.

Canada’s Sixth and Seventh reports are expected to be reviewed by the CEDAW Committee within the next year and a half. When it is reviewed, FAFIA will submit its second alternative report to the CEDAW Committee, and invites the support and input of other concerned interest groups in the publication of this next report.

To download the Canada’s Sixth and Seventh periodic CEDAW report, please visit:
Report [1]