"Temporary Special Measures" - CEDAW Controversy
CEDAW Article 4.1: "Adoption by States Parties of temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women shall not be considered discrimination as defined in the present Convention, but shall in no way entail as a consequence the maintenance of unequal or separate standards; these measures shall be discontinued when the objectives of equality of opportunity and treatment have been achieved."
Favouring women and girls may not be seen as discrimination according to Article 4 of CEDAW (Convention of Discrimination against Women). This is controversial in some countries, and I would love to hear other responses and views about this. No country has achieved gender equality yet, and it's not certain that we can achieve equality by 2030. Is it right to prolong this "temporary treatment"? Does this not pose a challenge for women to be taken seriously?
CEDAW as a whole has been seen to be controversial in some parts of Nigeria. That is why it has been difficult to domesticate all the Articles. However, a lot of progress has been made as regards girl child education and women's rights to property. I believe with the advent of the SDGs, we will have fast tracked progress regarding Article 4 since countries are made to own the process.
Temporary Special Measure in my understanding is a short term measure to empower women. The main purpose of introducing this measure is to ensure the participation of women in governance and to empower women in all fronts. So, it is desirable to extend this temporary special measure until the purpose for which it is introduced is achieved.