Elimination of Discrimination against Women examination The Commission carried out five separate consultations with women across New Zealand to inform its submission for the 7th Periodic Review of New Zealand under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Commission’s submission focused on five main human rights issues: gender-based violence, employment, exploitation and trafficking, health and data collection, and resource allocation. Commission on the Status of Women In March, the Women’s Rights Commissioner attended the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN in New York. This year’s theme was Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls. The Commission facilitated a side event, along with the Ministry for Women and the New Zealand Mission, about the empowerment of rural women through economic opportunity. The Commissioner facilitated a wellreceived discussion about the challenges and opportunities for rural women in New Zealand, Australia and Argentina. The Commissioner also attended the Suffrage 125 celebration hosted by the New Zealand UN Mission in New York, celebrating 125 years since women obtained the vote in New Zealand, and a gathering of other NHRIs and New Zealand NGOs, hosted by the Asia Pacific Forum, to discuss progressing independent participation rights for NHRIs at CSW. The Commissioner also attended many side and parallel events run by different countries and organisations working to progress women’s rights. Ethnic Minority Women’s Rights Alliance The Ethnic Minority Women’s Rights Alliance of Aotearoa has evolved over several years, initially comprising Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), Shakti and Pacific Women’s Watch. In late 2017, a decision was made to formalise the Alliance and its membership to bring a dedicated team and strategy to addressing human rights issues for ethnic women in New Zealand. The group has expanded to include the Commission, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Education Programme, Police, Accident Compensation Corporation, Health Quality & Safety Commission, and the Chief Victims Advisor to the Government. The stated purpose of the group is to advocate, campaign and lobby politically on priority issues that impinge on the fundamental human rights of ethnic women and girls in New Zealand. The lobbying and advocacy covers government, NGOs and civil society and includes issues such as family violence, lack of a national ethnic minority family violence strategy, dowry abuse, female genital mutilation, coercion to marry (including children and adults), use of immigration status to coerce women to stay in abusive relationships, human trafficking and honour killings and violence. Annual Report 2018 31