CEDAW committee recommends Uzbekistan to decriminalize HIV
Today, the CEDAW Committee released a preliminary version of the final recommendations for the 6th Periodic Report of Uzbekistan. The committee recommends the following (unofficial translation):
Stereotypes
- Referring to its general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19, the Committee recommends that the State party: […]
(b) Revise the Law on the Protection of Women against Harassment and Violence and other relevant national legislation to cover all forms of gender-based violence and address the specific needs of disadvantaged and marginalized groups of women, including women with disabilities, migrant women, women living with HIV/AIDS, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women; […]
Health
- The Committee recalls its general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on women and health and recommends that the State party: […]
(b) Decriminalize the threat and transmission of HIV/AIDS through sexual contact between consenting adults, and repeal articles 113 of the Penal Code as well as 57 and 58 of the Code of Administrative Offences; […]
Marriage and family relations
- The Committee recommends that the State party: […]
(b) Repeal discriminatory legislation prohibiting women with HIV/AIDS from adopting, guardianship, and foster care.
In January 2022 the Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS in coalition with the Alliance for Public Health submitted an alternative report on the implementation of the CEDAW Convention for women living with HIV to the 81st session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which took place in Switzerland from February 07 – 25, 2022.
On February 14, 2022, representatives of EWCS spoke at a private luncheon briefing and informal meeting with NGOs to inform committee members and women about the most pressing needs of HIV-positive women in Uzbekistan, including harmful policies that criminalize people with HIV.
On February 16, 2022, after a dialogue with a government delegation in Uzbekistan, the UN Geneva and UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner published a news story titled “Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women experts praise Uzbekistan’s adoption of the Law on Citizens and ask about community organizations and women living with HIV/AIDS”.
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