Contributed by: Katri Tammekand, Estonia National VAW Monitor

On Tuesday, 24 July, Estonia presented to the 39th UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women the Fourth Periodic Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The head of the Estonian delegation was Ambassador Marina Kaljurand.

The Committee emphasized several positive developments in Estonia.

Kaljurand said: "The Gender Equality Act has been adopted; the Gender Equality Commissioner has started working; the authority of the Chancellor of Justice has increased; the national Development Plan for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings has been adopted; and action plans for preventing and restraining domestic violence are in development". Wage differences between men and women, the shortage of female professors, healthcare statistics, women's participation in politics, women's situation in rural areas, stereotypes in education, and the growing number of women among people living with HIV/AIDS were also topics of discussion during the session.

Presently, 185 countries have acceded to the convention. The Republic of Estonia acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on 26 September 1991.

The first summarized report and the forth periodic report can be found at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs's webpage: http://www.vm.ee/est/kat_475/4501.html

Compiled from: Gender Equality Questions in Estonia Were under Discussion in UN, Press Release, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 26 July 2007.