UN treaty body reviews of Bangladesh

• CEDAW 2011
• CRC 2009
• CERD 2011

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

The Government of Bangladesh was examined by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in January 2011. In its Concluding Observations (CEDAW/C/BGD/CO/7), issued on 4 February, the Committee voiced its concern at the lack of information and statistics on Dalit women and recommended that Bangladesh collect such data and take measures to eliminate discrimination against them.

In 2010, a coalition of NGOs had submitted an alternative report, which contained numerous references to Dalit women. The report noted that the Government has national as well as international obligations to promote and protect the rights of Dalit women. Click here to find specific references to Dalit women in the alternative report.

Abstracts from the CEDAW Concluding Observations - Bangladesh 2011

Find a link to the Concluding Observations, the state report, alternative reports from civil society organisations and the delegation’s statement here

Disadvantaged groups of women

37. The Committee is concerned at the very limited information and statistics provided on disadvantaged groups of women and girls, including minority women such as Dalit women, migrant women, refugee women, older women, women with disabilities and girls living on the streets. The Committee is also concerned that those women and girls often suffer from multiple forms of discrimination, especially with regard to access to education, employment and health care, housing, protection from violence and access to justice.

38. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a. Collect disaggregated data on the situation of disadvantaged groups of women facing multiple forms of discrimination and adopt pro-active measures, including temporary special measures, to eliminate such discrimination and protect them from violence and abuse;

The Government is requested to report back to the Committee by February 2015.

Committee on the Rights of the Child

The Government of Bangladesh was examined by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in May 2009. On 12 June the Committee issued its Concluding Observations (CRC/C/BGD/CO/4) which contains some interesting observations on data collection, non-discrimination principle, poverty eradication, social and economic rights, the role of civil society, and independent monitoring by the NHRC. There are however no direct references to the situation of Dalit children or the sweeping community in Bangladesh, but to 'children in slums and rural areas'.

Find more information, including link to the Concluding Observations, the state report and the delegation’s statement here

Abstract from the Concluding Observations - Bangladesh 2009

Non-discrimination
32. While noting the State party’s commitment in its Constitution and “Vision 2021” to create an equitable, just and non-discriminatory society, the Committee is nevertheless concerned that the principle of non-discrimination contained in article 2 of the Convention is not fully respected in practice. Girls continue to face discrimination and disparities, particularly with regard to healthcare, nutrition and early marriage, as do particular groups of children, including refugee children, children with disabilities, children in slums and rural areas and children of ethnic and religious minorities. The Committee is also concerned that children face discrimination on the basis of social origin, or other status of their parents.

33. The Committee strongly recommends that the principle of non-discrimination, as provided for under article 2 of the Convention, be fully and vigorously applied by the State party and integrated into the implementation of all other articles to guarantee, without discrimination, the rights set out in the Convention. The Committee further recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to ensure that efforts to address persistent discrimination and reduce disparities are adequate and effective in the family, schools and other settings, and in particular among marginalized and excluded children, including girls, children of ethnic minorities and refugee children.

The Government is requested to report back to the Committee in 2012.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

 In 2001, the CERD Committe examined Bangladesh and recommended in its Concluding Observations that the State Party should report on discrimination based on caste in its next submission.