The United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) published its concluding observations on Greece which it considered at its 87th session held in Geneva, Switzerland, between 29 January and 16 February 2024.
In its concluding observations, which include recommendations for Greece, which is a party to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Committee noted that since the previous consideration in 2013, legal provisions aimed at eliminating discrimination against women and promoting gender equality have been adopted in Greece. It is indicated that it welcomes the progress made in political and institutional reforms but notes with concern the legal illiteracy among women belonging to ethnic minorities, including women in rural areas, women with disabilities and women belonging to the Muslim minority in Thrace.
The Committee recommends that Greece adopts special measures for women, including women from the Turkish community in Western Thrace, in all areas under the Convention where women are underrepresented or disadvantaged, including in political and public life, education and employment, in order to accelerate substantive equality of women and men.
Furthermore, the Committee notes with concern that structural barriers to women’s participation in political and public life in Greece persists and recommends ensuring the equal representation of women on the basis of gender equality in Parliament and municipal councils, in the government and in public services, in particular at decision-making levels.
Recollecting with concern the high unemployment rates among women in rural areas, the Committee recommends that Greece improve access to employment and training opportunities for disadvantaged groups of women, such as women belonging to ethnic minorities, including women from the Turkish community in Western Thrace.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) attended the 87th Session of CEDAW and followed the consideration of Greece on-site, which lasted all day on 6 February 2024. Before the session, ABTTF prepared a parallel report for the combined eighth and ninth periodic reports submitted by Greece to CEDAW and forwarded its parallel report to the Committee, in which the problems of women belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace were touched upon in detail.
Please click below for the observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women regarding Greece:
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW%2FC%2FGRC%2FCO%2F8-9&Lang=en
