Shadow Reports: Holding Governments Accountable for Women’s Human Rights

To date, 174 states parties have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). To assess the progress made in eliminating discrimination against women, each of the states parties must submit periodic reports every four years. NGOs also play a crucial role in promoting effective implementation of the Convention through their advocacy efforts and by monitoring the government’s implementation of the Convention. The development of an independent, or shadow, report provides an effective means for NGOs to critique or supplement information in the official state report. This alternative reporting mechanism holds governments accountable to their citizens, the CEDAW committee, and the UN.

The process of developing a shadow report can be as important as the report content, as women’s NGOs collaborate to establish priorities and a common vision for ensuring women’s equal rights in their countries. The Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc (ADFM), a non-governmental organization working on the promotion and defense of women's rights in Morocco, coordinated the development of the shadow report in cooperation with 22 women’s NGOs. Rabéa Naciri, President of ADFM/Rabat, and Amina Lemrini, ADFM Executive Committee member, are presently in New York for the 29th CEDAW committee session.

They spoke with WLP Communications Associate Abby Jenkins about their role in preparing the NGO shadow report. Some of the recommendations in the shadow report include: reforming the Code for Personal Status (CPS), which would enhance women's status in conjugal and family relations, establishing a national strategy to end violence against women, institutionalizing a quota system to increase women's participation in public life, improving employment and educational opportunities for women, developing a national program for reproductive health, and promoting a culture of equality.

AJ: How did ADFM and other participating NGOs collaborate with one another to prepare the shadow report?

ADFM: The process began ten years ago when the initial report was drafted parallel to the government report, which focused on the implementation of CEDAW following its ratification by Morocco on June 21, 1993. In 1996, ADFM took the initiative in coordinating the development of the second shadow report with the support of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). At that time, we examined both the official government report and the directives given by the United Nations concerning the shadow reports. We carried out investigative work in the field to document cases of human rights violations and discrimination against women. ADFM then drafted a report based on the findings and organized two workshops with more than a dozen women and human rights organizations in order to discuss and validate the report. While the CEDAW Committee was examining the Moroccan government’s report, ADFM organized a press conference on January 14, 1997 to discuss the release of the NGO’s shadow report. The event, which garnered a great deal of media attention, was an opportunity to provide an update on the issues addressed in the report and inform the public about the CEDAW Committee’s recommendations. The development of the current shadow report followed the same approach and methodology as the previous ones. ADFM, along with 22 other women’s and human rights NGOs, collectively drafted an initial version. All of these organizations then participated in a workshop organized in Morocco in March 2003 to debate and discuss the draft. Participants provided their suggestions and critiques, which were then incorporated into a second draft. A new version was then drawn up and given back to the organizations for a final review.

AJ: What problems or challenges did ADFM face in the collaborative process of preparing the report?

ADFM: The report had to be prepared in a short amount of time, which was a major limiting factor in the report-writing process. The date set for the examination of the Moroccan report was delayed by the CEDAW committee several times, which was a set-back for our work. In addition, ADFM was working on several other projects simultaneously, which restricted the amount of time we could invest. Most importantly, the shadow report had to be adopted by as many organizations as possible. Arriving at a common goal and a shared vision was challenging in working with 22 diverse NGOs with varying political and ideological viewpoints. While the Moroccan women’s movement is pluralistic, the organizations involved shared the goal of achieving equality for all women in Morocco. After many in-depth debates during the two workshops, we arrived at a common global vision.

AJ: What are some of the highlights of the shadow report?

ADFM: The issues raised in the report primarily refer to the concerns and recommendations expressed by the CEDAW Committee after the review of the initial report. It stresses the recent developments (since 1996) in terms of advances and setbacks of the issues outlined in the committee’s report. The report also highlights the shortcomings of the Moroccan government’s report. The latter part is very important because it draws the review committee’s attention to the primary shortcomings of the Moroccan public policies relating to women’s rights.

AJ: How does the shadow report compare to the report submitted by the Moroccan government?

ADFM: Our shadow report is more targeted than the government report, with special attention to the social and political dynamics that impact the status of women in Morocco. Moreover, we think that our report is a more accurate representation of the critical issues impacting women today. The Moroccan shadow report is available in English, French, and Arabic. Mrs. Rachida Tahiri, National President of ADFM and Mrs. Rabéa Naciri, President of ADFM/Rabat will be present in New York the week prior to the examination by the CEDAW Committee, on behalf of Moroccan NGOs. Mrs. Habiba Zahi, President of the “Association Marocaine des Droits des Femmes,” a Moroccan women’s rights organization, will also be present in New York. ADFM held a press conference July 15 to discuss the CEDAW Committee's review of the Moroccan report.