Side Event at the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
Event Title: Launch of the Research Project entitled ‘Looking Back and Reaching Forward: Commemorating the International Decade for People of African Descent and the Human Rights of Women and Girls’
Date and Time: Tuesday, 15 April 2025, 13:15 to 14:30 p.m
Sponsoring Organizations: University of Dayton Human Rights Center, University of the Bahamas & the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
Language(s): English
Location: UN Headquarters, conference room CRE
Event Description
“When gender, skin colour, ethnicity, class, religion and beliefs, migratory status or other grounds of discrimination combine and interact they create intricate webs of deprivation and denial of rights that oppress, cause suffering to and hinder the development of millions of people. Many women and girls of African descent have to deal with this harmful situation…”
Michelle Bachelet, Former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Background
In December 2013, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2015 to 2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent, with the theme “People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice, and Development.” The University of Dayton Human Rights Center is collaborating with Gaynel Curry, expert member of the United Nations’ Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (The Permanent Forum), to examine how the United Nations human rights treaty bodies, through their concluding observations, have addressed the specific concerns, needs, and experiences of women and girls of African descent. The preliminary research findings demonstrate interesting patterns and trends that merit further investigation. Thus far, the research team has assessed the concluding observations of four treaty bodies over the last ten years, including the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the Human Rights Committee (HRC) and the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW). In total, almost 600 concluding observations have been reviewed concerning States from all regional groupings.
To provide an in-depth analysis of key issues, selected case studies were conducted, examining state party reports and treaty body dialogues related to the human rights of people of African descent, with a specific focus on women and girls.
Objectives
The primary purpose of this launch is to share the research recommendations. These recommendations are designed to complement ongoing global, regional, and national efforts for the second Decade for People of African Descent. Furthermore, they aim to build upon the existing body of work from human rights mechanisms addressing the intersections of gender and race while specifically reinforcing the calls of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action for increased public action and policies to support women of African descent, who experience heightened marginalization due to racism.
Format and participation
The launch event will convene a diverse group of stakeholders, including PPFAD members, government officials, and NGO representatives. The program will begin with presentations by the researchers, followed by reflections from selected speakers. An open forum will then allow for audience comments and questions, with panelists responding and offering concluding remarks as time permits. The Chair will then provide a summary and formally close the meeting.
Outcome
The outcome of the discussion will be in the form of a summary recommendation to be presented during the plenary of the session of the Permanent Forum focused on women and girls of African descent.
Proposed program
OPENING REMARKS
June Soomer, former Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (Saint Lucia)
MODERATION AND CLOSING
Satang Nabaneh, Director of Programs, University of Dayton Human Rights Center (The Gambia)
RESEARCH PRESENTATION
Gaynel Curry, Member of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (The Bahamas)
Te'Neill Francis (The Bahamas)
Olamide Ajala (Nigeria)
Gabrielle Newry (The Bahamas)
DISCUSSANTS
Ahmed Reid, Former Chair of the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (Jamaica) (TBC)
Gay McDougall, Vice Chair, United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
Tamara Thermitus, Lawyer Emeritus and Distinguished Boulton Senior Fellow at McGill University's Faculty of Law (Canada)
Ana Barreto, Vice President for Latin America, Planned Parenthood Global (Brazil)
Tiffany W. Roberts, Public Policy Director Southern Center for Human Rights (USA)
Q&A
