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The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) that attended the seminar held by the APF Network of Women Parliamentarians, which addressed both the roles of women in political, civil and family life and the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), held in Budapest, Hungary, on October 26–27, 2011, is honoured to present its report. The delegation was made up of the Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, Senator and Outgoing Chair of the APF Network of Women Parliamentarians, and was accompanied by Mr. François Michaud, Branch Executive Secretary. The following branches were also present: Belgium/French Community/Wallonia-Brussels, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, France and Hungary. Since 2004, the APF Network of Women Parliamentarians has been running an independent co-operation program in partnership with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). It has also organized information and awareness seminars about the CEDAW for women parliamentarians in Francophone nations. To date, the Network has held eight CEDAW seminars: · in Mali in 2004, · in Madagascar in 2005, · in Gabon in 2005, · in Tunisia in 2006, · in Haiti in 2007, · in Mauritania in 2008, · in Kinshasa in 2009, and · in Togo in 2010. The CEDAW was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. It aims to establish equal rights for women around the world. As such, the CEDAW is the most important international legal instrument developed thus far with regard to equality between men and women. The first discussion focussed on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Ms. Pramila Patten (Mauritius), a member of the UN CEDAW Committee, gave a presentation on the Convention and its additional protocol, the procedure for submitting reports, follow‑up actions, and the role of parliamentarians in enforcing the Convention. She then answered numerous questions. Ms. Franciska Mikulás, Head of the Department for Equal Opportunities, Department of National Resources, and Ms. Katalin Gregor, Assistant to the Head of the Legal and Administrative Division and Rapporteur for the Equal Treatment Authority, gave a presentation on past and current efforts to enforce the CEDAW in Hungary. Senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool (Canada), Senator Pum Sichan (Cambodia), Ms. Eyoum Minono Epoube (Cameroon) and Ms. Henriette Martinez (France), Members, described past and current efforts to enforce the CEDAW in their respective countries. The second discussion focussed on the roles of women in political, civil and family life. Ms. Rózsa Hoffmann, Secretary of State and Chair of the Hungarian Branch of the APF; Ms. Anita Kissné Oláh (on the authority of Mr. Zoltán Balog, Secretary of State, Department of Public Administration and Justice); as well as Ms. Katalin Csöbör, Ms. Ilona Ékes and Ms. Ágnes Osztolykán, Members, gave a presentation on the status of women in Hungary. Senator Pum Sichan (Cambodia), Ms. Carole Poirier (Quebec), Ms. Marie Mariam Gisèle Diasso-Guigma (Burkina Faso) and Ms. Henriette Martinez (France), Members, gave a presentation on the status of women in their respective countries. The Canadian Branch of the APF would like to recognize the financial support of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie for this important mission.
Respectfully submitted,
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