United Nations
Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women
CEDAW/C/GC/27
Distr.: General
16 December 2010
Original: English
Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women
General recommendation No. 27 on older women and
protection of their human rights
Introduction
1.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter
“the Committee”), concerned about the multiple forms of discrimination experienced by
older women and that older women’s rights are not systematically addressed in the reports
of States parties, decided at its forty-second session, held from 20 October to 7 November
2008, pursuant to article 21 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (hereinafter “the Convention”), to adopt a general
recommendation on older women and protection of their human rights.
2.
In its decision 26/III of 5 July 2002, the Committee acknowledged that the
Convention “is an important tool for addressing the specific issue of the human rights of
older women.”1 General recommendation No. 25 on article 4, paragraph 1, of the
Convention (temporary special measures) also recognizes that age is one of the grounds on
which women may suffer multiple forms of discrimination. In particular, the Committee
recognized the need for statistical data, disaggregated by age and sex, in order to better
assess the situation of older women.
3.
The Committee affirms previous commitments to older women’s rights enshrined in,
inter alia, the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing,2 the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action,3 the United Nations Principles for Older Persons (General Assembly
resolution 46/91, annex), the Programme of Action of the International Conference on
Population and Development,4 the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002,5
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights general comment No. 6 on the
1
See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/57/38,
Part One, chap. I, decision 26/III, and chap. VII, paras. 430-436).
2
Report of the World Assembly on Ageing, Vienna, 26 July-6 August 1982 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.I.16), chap. VI, sect. A.
3
Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
4
Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5-13 September
1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.
5
Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 8-12 April 2002 1995 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.02.IV.4), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.
GE.10-47253