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CEDAW Vice-Chairperson Marianne Mikko: “We need parity now!”

Monday, 03.02.2025, 22:01 / SEISUKOHAD / RSS

In the opening of the 90th Session of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Estonian politician and human rights advocate Marianne Mikko was elected as a Vice-Chairperson of the UN CEDAW Committee for the 2025-2026 term. She will serve alongside Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen (Netherlands), Rhoda Reddock (Trinidad and Tobago), and Brenda Akia (Uganda) in this prestigious role. The position of CEDAW President for the upcoming term will be held by Nahla Haidar (Lebanon).

Marianne Mikko, a well-known Estonian politician, journalist, and advocate for women’s rights, has had an extensive career in European and international affairs. She served as a Member of the European Parliament (2004–2009), focusing on media freedom and EU affairs, and later as a Member of the Estonian Parliament (2011–2019), where she worked on defense, EU policies, and international relations. She also led Estonia’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and was elected as one of its Vice-Presidents in 2017.

Mikko’s leadership within CEDAW is expected to further strengthen international cooperation and policy development aimed at eliminating discrimination against women, particularly in areas such as women’s economic empowerment and equal political representation. “It’s time to forget gender quotas. What we really need globally, is 50:50 parity. Nothing more nothing less,” says Marianne Mikko in full confidence.

The CEDAW committee, established by the United Nations in 1982, plays a crucial role in monitoring and enforcing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The treaty adopted in 1979 serves as a global bill of rights for women. The committee reviews state reports, addresses gender-based discrimination, and promotes legal and policy reforms to advance gender equality worldwide.

The newly elected leadership team brings a diverse set of expertise and regional representation, strengthening the committee’s efforts in tackling key issues such as violence against women, economic empowerment, women’s political participation, reproductive rights, and gender-based discrimination.

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