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Posted on 02/02/2006 5:24:06 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
AUSTRALIA has been asked by a United Nations committee why it has not implemented quotas to increase the number of women in public and political positions.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was particularly concerned about women "who may be or are subject to multiple forms of discrimination, such (as) women belonging to ethnic minorities and immigrant women".
In 2004 the committee reiterated its policy in favour of affirmative action.
In its answer, Australia's submission firmly rejected the idea. It said that "using the merit principle to encourage skilled and talented women to contribute to this country's decision-making processes is a more effective way of increasing women's participation than relying on quotas".
The Liberal Party has consistently rejected quotas or targets for women, while the ALP has a preselection bias in favour of women and a target for the percentage of women candidates.
Australia's submission said the number of women in Federal Parliament was the highest it had ever been and was double the international average. As well, it said women held almost a third of senior positions in the public service and a similar percentage of Commonwealth-controlled positions on government boards.
The UN committee administers the International Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which requires countries to report every four years on their progress. The convention is second only to the rights of the child convention in terms of the number of countries that have ratified it.
In part of its submission, the Government suggests that it was considering dropping a reservation about a section of the convention mentioning paid maternity leave.
It said it was "considering its options" about dropping its reservation to section 11 (2) of the convention, but added that it would be subject to "Australia's domestic treaty process" and require extensive consultation.
The Government previously said in its reservation that it was not in a position to take measures required to introduce paid maternity leave throughout Australia.
Asked what options for paid maternity leave were being considered, Australia replied that its $4000 baby bonus helped families with the extra costs of having a child. It also said 45 per cent of female workers in Australia were entitled to paid maternity leave, particularly in the public sector.
In comments that will infuriate those who see international treaties infringing Australia's sovereignty, the committee wanted to know what Australia was doing to provide a guarantee against sexual discrimination in line with the convention "that would override the law of the Commonwealth and the states and territories".
Australia replied that the rights of Australians did not "principally depend on any formal system of constitutional guarantees" and that a bill of rights would not necessarily be appropriate. The final report of the committee will be issued in a few weeks.
Australia to UN---"Bugger off!"
Why doesn't the Australian Ambassador to the UN ask the appropriate UN delegate in open session why the UN wants to override and subvert Australian law?
The answer to that question would be interesting.
At this point you have to wonder why any civilized, modern country would want to be in the United Nations.
I've been wondering that for years...
I'm no expert, but I believe that Australia is a democracy and that many of these positions are filled by an obscure ritual called an 'election'.
Is the UN worried about the women subjected to brutal, disfiguring, incapacitating female circumcisions being performed every day in Africa? Or about the women who were not allowed to run in a marathon last Friday in Lahore, Pakistan?
I could go on and on. The UN is irrelevant.
U.nited N.utjobs
You mean Australia promotes people based on competence and not their sex? Only the UN would find that terrible.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
Why not do the 56 islamic countries first!
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