A University of the West Indies (UWI) professor of Gender, Social Change and Development, Rhoda Reddock, has been elected to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Sixteen candidates were vying for the spots on the panel, and 12 were elected. Reddock, secured 158 votes — the highest vote total among the candidates. The committee is scheduled to run from 2019 to 2022.
As a member of the committee, she will join 22 other independent experts in monitoring the progress made by States Parties in the implementation of the convention.
The committee represents one of the foremost mechanisms worldwide for the promotion of human rights and fair treatment of women as it assists State Parties in improving their human rights record and providing women and girls with equal access to opportunities for growth the development.
Reddock, who also served as deputy principal of the St Augustine campus, Trinidad, is a well-known champion of women’s rights and author of several books.
In March 2002 she was awarded the 7th Triennial CARICOM Award for Women.
She also served as consultant for a number of international agencies, including the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the European Union.
