Geneva Institute for Human Rights

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held an informal meeting with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Egypt, Botswana and Panama. It also held a dialogue with the national human rights institution of the Netherlands.
Among issues raised on the United Arab Emirates, NGOs commended the United Arab Emirates for its progress with regard to education, employment and the increased participation of women in public life. However, racial discrimination was endemic against unskilled and semi-skilled migrant workers, with the gender bias of migration exacerbating that discrimination. The United Arab Emirates had further failed to provide effective support services to needy women, and female victims of violence and trafficking were effectively denied their right to support services with the shutting down of the one independent organization providing women’s shelters in the country.
With regard to Egypt, NGOs said that violence against women in Egypt has been increasing in both the private and public realm and sexual harassment had reached alarming levels. Egypt had no law that protected women from violence inflicted upon them and provisions in the law even gave men the right to discipline their wives. Rural women in particular were not covered by any health insurance and social security schemes, and the services provided to them were worse than those offered to urban women. Moreover, illiteracy among rural women was significantly higher than among urban women, as was gender-based violence.