Beshir refuses to ratify women’s rights

The government has refused to ratify an international treaty on women’s rights, saying it contradicts national traditions. The remark made by President Omar el-Beshir, was published in the international and local press on 14 January. The official news agency SUNA gave no other details on Beshir’s announcement regarding the Convention of Eradication of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Beshir’s remarks came almost five months after UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Karin Sham Poo urged him to sign the convention which she said “seeks to remove harmful practices and maintain equality between men and women.” She has urged the government of Sudan “to ratify CEDAW and make its commitment to its women not a passive one but an obligation for the succeeding generations to honour and uphold. The reports on Beshir’s refusal were posted on the UNICEF website.