Estonian parlt approves expansion of women's rights protection

TALLINN - The Riigikogu on Wednesday approved Estonia's accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (OP-CEDAW).

Altogether 75 members of the Riigikogu voted in favor of joining the optional protocol. There were no votes against or abstentions.

Accession to the optional protocol gives individuals and organizations the opportunity to submit complaints about violations of the rights set forth in the convention to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. In cases of persistent violations of women's rights, the committee can initiate investigations on its own initiative and make recommendations to states parties to ensure the rights set forth in the convention and to improve the situation.

The optional protocol entered into force in December 2000 and has now been ratified by 115 countries. Estonia acceded to the convention in 1991. As of last November, the convention has 189 states parties, making it one of the UN human rights conventions with the largest number of parties.