CEDAW/C/TUR/CO/6

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Distr.: General

30 July 2010

Original: English

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Forty-sixth session

12-30 July 2010

Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Turkey

1. The Committee considered the sixth periodic report of Turkey (CEDAW/C/TUR/6) at its 937th and 938th meetings, on 21 July 2010 (see CEDAW/C/SR.937 and CEDAW/C/SR.938). The Committee’s list of issues and questions is contained in CEDAW/C/TUR/Q/6 and the responses of Turkey are contained in CEDAW/C/TUR/Q/6/Add.1.

Introduction

2. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for its sixth periodic report, which was well-structured. The Committee notes with appreciation that the report was prepared in a participatory process involving Government bodies and non-governmental organizations. The Committee also expresses its appreciation to the State party for its written replies to the list of issues and questions raised by the pre-session working group. The Committee regrets, however, that the report was submitted with some delay and does not adequately take into account the Committee’s previous concluding observations, nor does it refer to its general recommendations. The Committee also notes that the report provides only limited updated statistical data disaggregated by sex on the situation of women in many areas covered by the Convention.

3. The Committee commends the State party for its large high-level delegation, headed by the Minister of State for Women and Family Issues, which included the Head of the Parliamentary Commission on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, the Directors General of the Directorate General for the Status of Women, the Social Services and Child Protection General Directorate and the Directorate General for Multilateral Political Affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as representatives of various Government ministries. The Committee appreciates the frank, open and constructive dialogue that took place between the delegation and members of the Committee and the further detailed clarifications offered in response to questions posed orally by Committee members.

Positive aspects

4. The Committee commends the State party for the withdrawal of its declaration on article 9, paragraph 1, of the Convention in January 2008 following the amendments to the Turkish Citizenship Law.

5. The Committee welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration of the State party’s combined fourth and fifth periodic report in 2005 (CEDAW/C/TUR/4-5 and Corr.1), including the legislative reforms that have been undertaken and the adoption of a wide range of legislative measures, policies and programmes to promote gender equality and eliminate discrimination against women. Specific reference is made to the amendments to the Penal Code to combat violence against women, the amendment to the Law on the Protection of the Family, which includes legal protection for family members living apart or legally separated, and the Law on Child Protection, which ensures the provision of shelters to pregnant women at risk and victims of violence among others. Specific reference is also made to the adoption of action plans, such as the Gender Equality National Action Plan, the Sexual and Reproductive Health National Strategic Action Plan for the Health Sector, the National Action Plan for Combating Domestic Violence against Women and the Second National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking.

6. The Committee notes that a Constitutional amendment package containing a number of provisions related to gender equality was recently adopted by Parliament and will be the subject of a national referendum in September 2010.

7. The Committee welcomes the creation of the Parliamentary Commission on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, which monitors and informs the Parliament of national and international developments with respect to gender equality, and provides opinions upon request on draft laws and decree laws submitted to Parliament.

Principal areas of concern and recommendations

8. The Committee recalls the State party’s obligation to systematically and continuously implement all the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and views the concerns and recommendations identified in the present concluding observations as requiring the State party’s priority attention between now and the submission of the next periodic report. Consequently, the Committee urges the State party to focus on those areas in its implementation activities and to report on action taken and results achieved in its next periodic report. It calls upon the State party to submit the present concluding observations to all relevant ministries, Parliament and the judiciary, in order to ensure their full implementation.

Parliament

9. While reaffirming that the Government has the primary responsibility and is particularly accountable for the full implementation of the State party’s obligations under the Convention, the Committee stresses that the Convention is binding on all branches of Government, and it therefore invites the State party to encourage its Parliament, in line with its procedures, where appropriate, to take the necessary steps with regard to the implementation of these concluding observations and the Government’s next reporting process under the Convention.

Definition of equality and non-discrimination

10. The Committee, while noting that general principles of equality and non-discrimination are guaranteed in article 10 of the Constitution and contained in domestic legislation, continues to be concerned at the lack of a specific prohibition of discrimination against women in all areas of life in its national legislation in line with articles 1 and 2 of the Convention . It also notes the absence of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in the State party.

11. The Committee reiterates its previous concluding observations of 2005 and recommends that the State party prohibit discrimination against women in line with articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. The Committee also invites the State party to consider developing and adopting comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, including a clear definition of discrimination against women and a clear prohibition of multiple forms of discrimination against women in all areas of life, also in line with the recommendations made during Turkey’s universal periodic review by the Human Rights Council in May 2010.

Visibility of the Convention, the Optional Protocol and the Committee’s general recommendations

12. The Committee takes note of the efforts made by the State party to increase the visibility of the Convention and the Optional Protocol, but remains concerned that the Convention, its Optional Protocol and the Committee’s general recommendations may not yet have received a sufficiently high degree of visibility and importance, and may not therefore be regularly used as the central legal basis for measures, including legislation, aimed at the elimination of discrimination against women and the promotion of gender equality in the State party.

13. The Committee recommends that awareness-raising and advocacy campaigns be developed and implemented, involving parliamentarians, civil society and the general public, including religious and traditional leaders, in order to enhance understanding of the provisions of the Convention and support for the principle of gender equality and the prohibition of discrimination. It further calls on the State party to ensure that the Convention, its Optional Protocol, the Committee’s general recommendations, and related domestic legislation are made an integral part of legal education and the training of judicial officers, including judges, lawyers and prosecutors, so as to firmly establish in the country a legal culture supportive of women’s equality and non-discrimination.

Discriminatory provisions

14. While welcoming the many legislative measures undertaken to eliminate discrimination against women, the Committee remains concerned that not all discriminatory provisions in the Penal and Civil Code have been abolished nor amended, thus impeding full implementation of the Convention. Such provisions include article 287 of the Penal Code, which allows genital examinations to be performed without the woman’s consent under certain circumstances.

15. The Committee reiterates its previous concluding observations of 2005 and urges the State party to accelerate efforts and establish a specific timetable for amending still existing discriminatory legal provisions so as to bring its legislation into line with article 2 of the Convention. With respect to article 287 of the Penal Code, the Committee reiterates its previous recommendation that consent of the women be made a prerequisite for genital examinations under all circumstances.

16. The Committee reiterates its concern about the absence of information and statistical data on the impact of the ban on the use of headscarves in the areas of education, employment, health and political and public life, such as the number of women excluded from schools and universities.

17. The Committee reiterates its previous concluding observations of 2005 and requests the State party to undertake studies to evaluate the impact of the ban on wearing headscarves in the fields of education, employment, health and political and public life, and to include detailed information of the result of the study and of measures taken to eliminate any discriminatory consequences of the ban in its next periodic report.

Temporary special measures

18. The Committee is concerned about the State party’s limited application of article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention and notes that temporary special measures have so far only been applied with respect to education and employment. The Committee notes that the Constitutional amendment package adopted by Parliament contains a provision affirming that measures taken to achieve substantive equality shall not be deemed contradictory to the principle of equality, thus potentially providing for the greater use of temporary special measures if approved by referendum in September 2010.

19. The Committee recommends that the State party apply temporary special measures in areas where women are underrepresented or disadvantaged and allocate additional resources where needed to accelerate the advancement of women. The Committee also recommends that the State party familiarize all relevant officials with the concept of temporary special measures described in article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention and interpreted in the Committee’s general recommendation No. 25. The Committee invites the State party to include information on the impact of the Constitutional amendment package, if and once approved by referendum in September 2010, on the use of temporary special measures in various areas in its next periodic report.

Stereotypes, cultural practices

20. While welcoming the numerous measures taken, including programmes or strategies in place to combat negative stereotypes pertaining to the roles of women and men, the Committee remains concerned about the persistence of patriarchal attitudes and deep-rooted stereotypes concerning women’s roles and responsibilities that discriminate against women and perpetuate their subordination within the family and society. It notes that such discriminatory attitudes and stereotypes constitute serious obstacles to the fulfilment of the rights enshrined in the Convention and contribute to women’s disadvantaged position in the areas of education, employment, health and participation in political and public life. The Committee also reiterates its concern about the persistence of harmful traditional practices, including early and forced marriage.

21. In line with its previous concluding observations of 2005, the Committee urges the State party to continue to accelerate efforts to eliminate discriminatory attitudes and stereotypical attitudes in accordance with articles 2 (f) and 5 (a) of the Convention. It urges the State party to intensify cooperation in this regard with civil society organizations, women’s groups and community leaders, traditional and religious leaders, as well as teachers and the media. The Committee invites the State party to increase its efforts to design and implement long-term strategies, as well as education and awareness-raising programmes, targeting women and men at all levels of society, with a view to creating an enabling environment for the elimination of stereotypes and traditional practices that are discriminatory to women and allowing women to exercise their fundamental rights. It further calls on the State party to continue to monitor and periodically review the measures taken in order to assess their impact, to take appropriate action and to report thereon to the Committee in its next periodic report.

Violence against women

22. The Committee notes with appreciation the measures taken to combat violence against women, such as the amendments to the Turkish Penal Code, the issuance of a Prime Ministry Circular outlining the measures to be taken and the responsible institutions, the establishment of a Monitoring Committee for Violence against Women, the adoption of the National Action Plan for Combating Domestic Violence against Women, as well as various awareness-raising and training programmes. The Committee notes that the State party is developing a new action plan on violence against women. The Committee is concerned, however, about the continuing prevalence of violence against women, including domestic violence, which affects
39 per cent of women in the territory of the State party. The Committee notes the existence of Law No. 4320 on the Protection of the Family, but also notes the absence of a comprehensive national law on violence against women. The Committee also notes the limited number of shelters (57 available throughout the State party) and is concerned that such shelters may lack proper facilities and resources.

23. The Committee urges the State party to continue to accord priority attention to the adoption of comprehensive measures to address violence against women in accordance with its general recommendation No. 19. The Committee calls on the State party to evaluate and strengthen Law No. 4320 in order to enact comprehensive legislation on all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, and to ensure that in such legislation all forms of violence against women are prohibited, that women and girls who are victims of violence have access to immediate means of redress and protection, including protection orders, and that perpetrators are prosecuted and punished. In line with its previous concluding observations of 2005, the Committee recommends the expansion of training activities and programmes for public officials, the judiciary, law enforcement personnel and health-service providers in order to ensure that they can address and combat all forms of violence against women and can provide adequate support to victims. It also recommends the continuation of public awareness-raising campaigns on all forms of violence against women and girls. The Committee further recommends that the State party establish additional counselling and other support services for victims of violence, including additional shelters, and ensure that adequate resources are allocated in order to implement the necessary measures in this regard. The Committee requests the State party to enhance its cooperation with non-governmental organizations working in the area of violence against women.

24. The Committee notes the measures taken to combat killings in the name of honour, such as the issuance of a Prime Ministry Circular and the implementation of training and awareness-raising programmes. The Committee is concerned, however, about the persistence of such killings and the lack of data available on its incidence in rural or remote areas. While taking note of the information provided by the State party that article 82 of the Penal Code is considered to include both custom and “honour” killings and that article 29 of the Penal Code on “unjust provocation” has been amended to abolish possible sentence reductions for “honour” killings, the Committee remains concerned that the provisions of the Penal Code may result in less vigorous prosecution of and reduction of sentences for the perpetrators of such crimes.

25. The Committee recommends that killings in the name of honour be explicitly included within the scope of article 82 of the Penal Code and classified as aggravated homicide, and that such crimes are treated as seriously as other violent crimes with regard to investigation and prosecution. The Committee also recommends the implementation of effective prevention measures, including educational and awareness-raising measures aimed at law enforcement officials, the judiciary, health-service providers, social workers, community leaders and the general public. The Committee requests the State party to include detailed information on the incidence of killings in the name of honour, particularly in rural or remote areas, including the number of investigations, prosecutions and perpetrators punished, as well as the sentences imposed.

Trafficking and exploitation of prostitution

26. The Committee notes that Turkey is both a country of destination and transit for trafficking in women. It welcomes the efforts made by the State party to combat trafficking in human beings and the exploitation of prostitution, including the establishment of a National Task Force on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and the legal provisions in place to punish criminal practices associated with trafficking and the exploitation of prostitution. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the Second National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking, but is concerned about the insufficient human and financial resources for its implementation, as well as the needed indicators to monitor its achievements. The Committee is also concerned about the implementation of various training and awareness-raising activities and campaigns aimed at the judiciary, law-enforcement and health personnel, as well as potential victims and the general public, and the provision of adequate services to victims of trafficking such as shelters, which are mostly operated by non-governmental organizations that rely on external assistance. The Committee is concerned by the continuing prevalence and extent of this problem, particularly cross-border trafficking.

27. The Committee urges the State party to continue to take all appropriate measures to combat all forms of trafficking in women and children in line with article 6 of the Convention. Given the prevalence and extent of the problem, the Committee also urges the State party to ensure the quality implementation of the Second National Action Plan, and the provision of adequate comprehensive support services, including shelters, to victims. The Committee calls upon the State party to increase its efforts at international, regional and bilateral cooperation with countries of origin, transit and destination in order to prevent trafficking, to bring perpetrators to justice and to improve reintegration programmes to prevent victimization and revictimization.

Political participation and participation in public life

28. Recalling its previous concluding observations of 2005, the Committee is concerned that women continue to be seriously underrepresented in political and public life, including in academia, the Foreign Service and the judiciary, especially in leadership and decision-making positions. The Committee notes that since women acquired the right to vote and to be elected in 1934, women’s representation in the Parliament has only increased from 4.6 per cent to its current level of 9.1 per cent. The Committee is also concerned about the absence of temporary special measures, such as quotas, to increase women’s representation in political and public life and notes that there are no legal provisions or binding regulations for their application.

29. In line with its previous concluding observations of 2005, the Committee calls on the State party to take measures, with benchmarks and concrete timetables, to increase the number of women in political and public life, at all levels and in all areas, in light of its general recommendation No. 23. It also recommends that the State party introduce temporary special measures, including quotas, in accordance with article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention and its general recommendation No. 25, to strengthen its efforts to promote women to positions of leadership. The Committee urges the State party, inter alia, to increase the availability of training and capacity-building programmes for women wishing to enter or already in public office and to enhance its awareness-raising campaigns aimed at both women and men on the importance of women’s participation in political and public life. The Committee also urges the State party to review and assess systematically the impact of such measures.

Education

30. The Committee welcomes the priority given to girls’ education and the measures undertaken, such as the provision of educational assistance payments (conditional cash transfers) and various projects and campaigns supported by the Ministry of National Education. It also notes that some progress has been achieved with respect to the enrolment and drop-out rates of girls and women. The Committee remains concerned, however, at the continuing disparity between boys and girls in all levels of education, particularly in vocational training and higher education. The Committee also notes with concern the persistence of stereotyped educational choices, with girls and women continuing to predominate in traditionally female areas of education, and the low rates of girls’ enrolment and completion, which may be due to stereotypes relating to girls and the priority given to boys with regard to education. The Committee further notes that the illiteracy rate for adult women stands at 13.8 per cent. The Committee is also concerned that women and girls of various ethnic groups, particularly Kurdish girls and women, and those whose mother tongue is not Turkish continue to face educational disadvantages, particularly in rural areas, and that insufficient information, including data, has been provided by the State party on this issue. The Committee is further concerned that significant disparities, particularly in the quality of education, exist between rural and urban areas — with girls in rural areas being disproportionately affected.

31. In line with its previous concluding observations of 2005, the Committee calls on the State party to take proactive measures to decrease the female illiteracy rate, including through the adoption of comprehensive programmes of formal and non-formal education and through adult education and training. The Committee also calls on the State party to address the persisting disparity between boys and girls in education, including through the implementation of measures to ensure equal access for girls and women to all levels of education, and to ensure retention of girls in school, particularly in rural areas. Such measures should include the use of temporary special measures in accordance with article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention and the Committee’s general recommendation No. 25. The Committee also calls on the State party to increase measures aimed at the diversification of women’s academic and professional choices, including through awareness-raising, training and counselling programmes. The Committee urges the State party to continue to take measures to eliminate traditional attitudes that perpetuate discrimination and non-compliance with the provisions of article 10 of the Convention, and to address regional disparities in the quality of education and to implement further targeted policies and programmes to overcome educational disadvantages faced by girls and women belonging to diverse ethnic groups, particularly Kurdish girls and women, and those whose mother tongue is not Turkish. The Committee requests the inclusion of information and data on the situation of those groups in the next periodic report.

Employment and economic empowerment

32. The Committee notes the various measures taken by the State party to support the participation of women in the labour market, including through the provision of training and the establishment of incentives, and to facilitate the reconciliation of family and work life, such as the provision of public nursery services for children up to five years of age. The Committee remains concerned, however, at the low rate of women’s employment, which stood at 22.3 per cent in 2009, and which particularly affect women in urban areas. The Committee notes that lack of necessary skills and education are among the main factors for the low rate of women’s employment. The Committee is also concerned about the discrimination faced by women in employment, as reflected in the hiring process, the persistence of a wide gender pay gap and of occupational segregation, as well as women’s concentration in agriculture in rural areas as unpaid family workers with no entitlements within the social security system.

33. The Committee urges the State party to ensure equal opportunities for women and men in the labour market, including through the use of temporary special measures in accordance with article 4, paragraph 1 of the Convention and its general recommendation No. 25. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to take proactive and concrete measures to eliminate occupational segregation, both horizontal and vertical, through, inter alia, education, training and retraining and effective enforcement mechanisms, and to narrow and close the pay gap. The Committee further recommends that the State party pay particular attention to the conditions of women workers in the informal sector and to unpaid family workers with a view to ensuring their access to social services and social security. It calls upon the State party to improve its legislation banning discrimination within recruitment to employment in order to ensure its effectiveness. It also calls on the State party to provide in its next report detailed information about the measures taken, including the implementation of a Prime Ministry Circular on increasing women’s employment and achieving equal opportunity, and their impact on realizing equal opportunities for women.

Health

34. While noting the measures taken to improve women’s health, including through the provision of reproductive health services and the reduction of maternal and child mortality rates, as well as the priority accorded to maternal and infant health and family planning services among national programmes, the Committee is concerned that women, particularly in rural areas, continue to face difficulties in accessing health services, which require them to seek the assistance of their spouses or relatives to obtain access to health-care facilities. Women’s low social status and economic dependence, and the social stereotyped attitudes and opinions are among the factors contributing to women’s poor health in Turkey. The Committee is also concerned at the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women, who make up 30 per cent of those infected. The Committee is further concerned at the increasing rate of suicides among women. In the southeastern/eastern regions, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences notes that such suicides may be intimately linked to violence against women (see A/HRC/4/34/Add.2).

35. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen implementation of programmes and policies aimed at providing effective access for women to health-care information and services, especially in rural areas. It requests that the State party provide, in its next periodic report, detailed information and data on measures taken to improve women’s access to health services, particularly in rural areas and the impact of these measures, in accordance with the Committee’s general recommendation No. 24. The Committee also urges the State party to take comprehensive measures to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, including preventive measures, and to ensure that women and girls have adequate and proper access to HIV/AIDS counselling and treatment. It requests the State party to provide information on the current rates of women and girls with HIV/AIDS and on the measures undertaken to combat this problem. The Committee requests the State party to take comprehensive measures to address the issue of suicide among women, including preventive measures targeted at the root causes of suicide, and to ensure the provision of psychosocial and other assistance to women. The Committee also requests the State party to provide information on the rates of suicide among women, on any investigations or studies carried out into the root causes for suicide and on measures taken to address the problem in its next periodic report.

Rural women

36. While taking note of the State party’s Ninth National Development Plan and of other initiatives to address women’s economic empowerment implemented in rural areas, the Committee notes that unregistered employment is more prevalent among those involved in agricultural activities in rural areas and especially among unpaid family workers, 76 per cent of whom were women as of 2006. The Committee also notes that limited information was provided on the situation of rural women, including rural elderly women, particularly with respect to violence against women, access to justice, health care, education, and participation in local government and decision-making.

37. The Committee recommends that the State party continue efforts to improve the situation of rural women, through both legislative and practical measures, and to ensure that all policies and programmes aimed at promoting gender equality, including those with regard to health, education, employment and the elimination of violence against women, reach the rural areas and are fully implemented at all levels. The Committee also recommends that the State party implement gender-sensitive rural development strategies and programmes, ensuring the full participation of rural women in their formulation and implementation. The Committee further recommends that the State party include in its next report a comprehensive assessment, with data, on the situation of rural women, including elderly rural women.

Disadvantaged groups of women

38. The Committee is concerned about the situation of various disadvantaged groups of women, including Kurdish women and women of ethnic and minority communities, migrant women and women asylum-seekers, elderly women, as well as women with disabilities, who may be more vulnerable to poverty and violence and are at risk of multiple forms of discrimination with respect to education, health, employment and social and political participation. The Committee notes the lack of comprehensive data and information on the situation of such women, in particular the lack of information and data provided by the State party on women with disabilities, disaggregated by age and type of disability, in both rural and urban areas. The Committee also notes that Kurdish women continue to be in a vulnerable and marginalized situation with unofficial data indicating high illiteracy and low education rates.

39. The Committee calls upon the State party to take effective measures to eliminate discrimination against women of ethnic and minority communities, migrant women and women asylum-seekers, elderly women, as well as women with disabilities, both in society at large and within their communities, particularly in the areas of education, health, employment and political and public life. It also calls upon the State party to be proactive in its measures, including through the development of targeted programmes and strategies, to increase women’s awareness of and access to education, health and social services, training and employment, as well as to familiarize them with their rights to gender equality and non-discrimination. The Committee requests the State party to collect data and conduct regular and comprehensive studies on the situation of various disadvantaged groups of women, and to provide such information and statistical data in its next report. The Committee also requests the State party to include in its next report comprehensive information on the situation of Kurdish women and girls, including data on their educational opportunities and achievements, access to employment and health-care services and participation in public life and decision-making.

Family relations

40. Recalling its previous concluding observations of 2005, the Committee is concerned that the 2002 amendment to the Civil Code regarding joint ownership of acquired property during marriage has not been applied retroactively, thus continuing to disadvantage women who were married prior to its entry into force. Despite a 2004 decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which granted a woman the right to solely retain her maiden name, the Committee notes that, in accordance with article 187 of the Civil Code, married women can only retain their maiden name if it is accompanied by their spouses’ surname. The Committee also notes that a waiting period of 300 days is still required for women to remarry after divorce.

42. In line with its previous concluding observations of 2005, the Committee recommends that the State party consider the impact of the lack of retroactive applicability of the 2002 amendment to the Civil Code regarding joint ownership of acquired property on women married prior to its entry into force. It invites the State party to consider a further amendment of the Civil Code to include marriages concluded before 2002. The Committee further urges the State party to review and amend without delay existing discriminatory legislation and provisions, including with respect to the retention of women’s surnames after marriage and the waiting period for remarriage, to bring them fully into line with articles 2 and 16 of the Convention.

National human rights institution

42. The Committee notes that Turkey has not established a national human rights institution and that a draft law for the establishment of such an institution remains under discussion in Parliament. It also notes that recommendations made on this issue during Turkey’s universal periodic review in May 2010 enjoyed its support.

43. The Committee recommends that the State party take further steps to establish a national human rights institution in compliance with the Paris Principles (General Assembly resolution 48/134) and to do so within a consultative framework involving both civil society actors and the international community, as well as to give the national human rights institution an effective mandate in the realization of the principle of equality of women and men in the field of human rights.

Follow-up to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

45. The Committee urges the State party, in the implementation of its obligations under the Convention, to fully utilize the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which reinforce the provisions of the Convention, and requests the State party to include information thereon in its next periodic report.

Millennium Development Goals

46. The Committee emphasizes that full and effective implementation of the Convention is indispensable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

It calls for the integration of a gender perspective and explicit reflection of the provisions of the Convention in all efforts aimed at the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and requests the State party to include information thereon in its next periodic report.

Dissemination

47. The Committee requests the wide dissemination in Turkey of the present concluding observations in order to make the people, including government officials, politicians, parliamentarians and women’s and human rights organizations, aware of the steps that have been taken to ensure the de jure and de facto equality of women, as well as the further steps that are required in that regard. The Committee recommends that the dissemination should include the local community level. The State party is encouraged to organize a series of meetings to discuss progress achieved in the implementation of these observations. The Committee requests the State party to continue to disseminate widely, in particular to women’s and human rights organizations, the Committee’s general recommendations, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly on the theme “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”.

Ratification of other treaties

48. The Committee notes that the adherence of the State party to the nine major international human rights instruments would enhance the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms in all aspects of life. 1

The Committee therefore encourages the Government of Turkey to consider ratifying the treaty to which it is not yet a party — the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Follow-up to concluding observations

49. The Committee requests the State party to provide, within two years, written information on the steps undertaken to implement the recommendations contained in paragraphs 17 and 23 above.

Technical assistance

50. The Committee recommends that the State party avail itself of technical assistance in the development and implementation of a comprehensive programme aimed at the implementation of the above recommendations and the Convention as a whole. The Committee also calls upon the State party to strengthen further its cooperation with specialized agencies and programmes of the United Nations system, including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Health Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Statistics Division and the Division for the Advancement of Women in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat.

Preparation of next report

51. The Committee requests the State party to ensure the wide participation of all ministries and public bodies in the preparation of its next report, as well as to consult a variety of women’s and human rights organizations during that phase.

52. The Committee requests the State party to respond to the concerns expressed in the present concluding observations in its next periodic report under article 18 of the Convention. The Committee invites the State party to submit its next periodic report in July 2014.

53. The Committee invites the State party to follow the “Harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific documents”, approved at the fifth Inter-Committee Meeting of the human rights treaty bodies in June 2006 (see HRI/MC/2006/3 and Corr.1). The treaty-specific reporting guidelines, adopted by the Committee at its fortieth session in January 2008, must be applied in conjunction with the harmonized reporting guidelines on a common core document. Together they constitute the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The treaty-specific document should be limited to 40 pages, while the updated common core document should not exceed 80 pages.

 

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1 The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.