The Government is preparing legislation to combat the trafficking of women for prostitution, a minister informed a key United Nations Committee tonight.
Frank Fahey, the Minister of State at the Justice Department, highlighted Ireland's progress in addressing women's rights over the last two decades as Irish groups claimed the Government had failed to improve its record.
Frank Fahey, the Minister of State at the Justice Department
He told the Committee meeting at UN headquarters in New York that there was already strong legislation in force to stop the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation.
Mr Fahey confirmed further legislation was also being prepared to combat people being exploited for sexual and labour purposes.
"Ireland is opposed to all acts and practices which degrade or exploit women," the junior minister said. Mr Fahey told the 33rd session of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) that violence against women was a heinous crime and an abuse of human rights.
"The Irish Government attaches great importance to its elimination. The Government will take the measures necessary to eliminate the scourge of domestic violence from our society," he said.
However, Noirin Clancy from the Women's Human Rights Alliance (WHRA) said the voluntary groups had travelled to the UN meeting to highlight to the international community Ireland's failure to improve the position of women.
The women, representing a number of non-governmental organisations, were also addressing the UN session. CEDAW was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979 and Ireland signed up in 1985.
The convention is much like an international bill of rights for women, a legally binding document, which defines what constitutes discrimination against women. The committee was today considering Ireland's fourth and fifth reports under the Convention.
Mr Fahey, led the Irish delegation, which included representatives from a number of key Government parties, to answer questions at the meeting on its commitment to women's rights.
Ms Clancy said too little had been done to address the inequalities in the provision of cancer screening services around the country, the under-representation of women in decision-making positions and the increase in violence against women.
Mr Fahey told the UN Committee the number of women in key decision making roles on state boards and other bodies had increased dramatically from 15 per cent in 1992 to 32 per cent in 2005.