Women Present Lawmakers with CEDAW Handbook

On the 78th anniversary of the approval Civil Law, the Ucan Supurge (a women's rights group) will present Turkish lawmakers with a copy of a handbook prepared by the United Nations (U.N.) for Parliamentarians called "The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional protocol.

The handbook was translated and published by the Flying Broom. This was the first time the handbook was translated to a language other than the six formal languages of the U.N.

In a press statement, the Ucan Supurge said many steps had been taken in Turkey toward equality between men and women since the approval of the Civil Law on February 17, 1926.

"We hope the steps taken under the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) will carry Turkey to better days," said the group.

In the statement, Ucan Supurge also reminded that AKP women's branches had won the "International Quality Award." The group added the improvements in sustaining equality between men and women should be in line with international norms.

"There is no doubt, the standard lies with international agreements. The CEDAW agreement, which Turkey has ratified is very important in that sense," Ucan Supurge said. (BB/EA/NM)