United Nations
Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women
CEDAW/C/BRB/CO/5-8
Distr.: General
24 July 2017
Original: English
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women
Concluding observations on the combined fifth to eighth
periodic reports of Barbados*
1.
The Committee considered the combined fifth to eighth periodic reports of
Barbados (CEDAW/C/BRB/5-8) at its 1514th and 1515th meetings (see
CEDAW/C/SR.1514 and 1515), held on 12 July 2017. The Committee’s list of
issues and questions is contained in CEDAW/C/BRB/Q/5-8 and the responses of
Barbados are contained in CEDAW/C/BRB/Q/5-8/Add.1.
A.
Introduction
2.
The Committee appreciates the submission by the State party of its combined
fifth to eighth periodic reports. It also appreciates the State party’s written replies to
the list of issues and questions raised by the pre-sessional working group, albeit
submitted with a considerable delay, and welcomes the oral presentation by the
delegation and the further clarifications provided in response to the questions posed
orally by the Committee during the dialogue, while noting that some questions were
left unanswered.
3.
The Committee commends the State party on its high -level delegation, which
was headed by the Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and
Community Development, Steven Blackett, and included representatives of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the National Advisory Council on
Gender and the Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations Office and
other international organizations in Geneva.
B.
Positive aspects
4.
The Committee welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in
2002 of the State party’s fourth periodic report ( CEDAW/C/BRB/4) in undertaking
legislative reforms, in particular the adoption of the following:
(a)
Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) (Amendment) Act, in 2016;
(b)
Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act, in 2016;
(c)
Trafficking in Persons Prevention Act, in 2016;
* Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-seventh session (3-21 July 2017).
17-11292 (E)
100817
*1711292*