KARAT Coalition

Training of Trainers: Call for application

KARAT Coalition along with project partners invites applications for participation in the Training of Trainers (ToT) on the CEDAW Convention which will take place in Warsaw, Poland, on 17-23 November 2010. The training is organized in cooperation with KARAT’s strategic partner - IWRAW Asia Pacific. It is intended for women’s rights activists from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan who wish to promote equality and women’s human rights through engagement with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Applicants are requested to submit a completed application form, a CV (max. 3 pages) and the recommendation letter from women’s NGO to and no later than:

Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan Gender Association “Symmetry”, kdsgender@yahoo.com - deadline 25^th September

Kyrgyzstan: Forum of Women’s NGOs of Kyrgyzstan, ckartanbaeva@gmail.com - deadline 27^th September

Tajikistan: Public Foundation “Panorama”, rita_mamedova@mail.ru - deadline 6^th September

Uzbekistan: “Generation of the Future”, lkhamzayeva@mail.ru - deadline 25^th September

More information

Regional Consultation on the implementation of CEDAW Concluding Observations in Europe and Central Asia

On 1-3 July, European Consultation on the implementation of CEDAW Concluding Observations (COs) organized by IWRAW Asia Pacific in cooperation with KARAT and WIDE took place in Warsaw, Poland. During this 3-day strategic meeting women’s rights advocates from EU member states, CEE countries and Central Asia shared strategies on how to use Concluding Observations that are issued by the CEDAW Committee after the reviewing session of the state to keep the governments accountable for complying with the obligation to fully implement CEDAW Convention at national level. The meeting was attended by 32 women from 17 countries, including KARAT’s members and project partners. Previous member of the CEDAW Committee – Shanthi Dairiam from Malaysia – was present at the Regional Consultation to share her expertise and experience. Participants will carry out follow up activities linked to implementation of CEDAW COs on national level.

1st Strategic Meeting of Project Partners

Inception meeting of the three-year KARAT’s project focused on the promotion of CEDAW and its mechanisms took place on 29-30 April in Warsaw, Poland.
The meeting was a first opportunity for all project partners to meet and discuss in depth the project strategy, objectives and actions to be taken on regional level and in the project countries: Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The project aims in particular at addressing women’s rights through advocating and lobbying for the implementation of CEDAW Committee’s Concluding Observations and at improving women’s access to justice also through building capacity to use the procedures provided by the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.
During the meeting the special attention was given to the CEDAW training of trainers that will be organized in November 2010 on regional level for women’s activists from project countries.