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Ana Peláez Narváez (Zafra, Spain, 1966) holds degrees in Science of Education and Psychology from Seville University, and a master’s degree in Special Needs for People with Disabilities from Salamanca University.
Her working languages are Spanish, English and French.
She chaired the CEDAW Committee during the period 2023-2024 and was the first person with a disability to hold that position. During her term as Chair of the CEDAW, she co-chaired the EDVAW Platform (of independent expert mechanisms on discrimination and violence against women) and was a member of the Group of Chairpersons of UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies.
In addition, she represented the CEDAW Committee before the Third Commit- tee of the United Nations General Assembly; she spoke at the opening of the 67th and 68th sessions of the CSW and appeared before the Security Council under the Arria formula with a view to strengthening CEDAW and the framework for women, peace, and security.
During her presidency, with the support of ONCE, she hosted an informal meeting of the chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies in Madrid from February 21 to 23, 2024, with a view to harmonizing jurisprudence and working methods, in line with the process of strengthening human rights treaty bodies.
Despite the progress made in incorporating the disability dimension into the work of the CEDAW Committee, women and girls with disabilities remain marginalized in the exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms under the Convention.
With her re election to the CEDAW Committee, Ms. Peláez will be able to make a decisive contribution to the development of the new General Recommenda- tion No. 42 on women’s rights and disability, which can provide clear guidance to States parties and other stakeholders on this issue.
An estimated one in five women live with disabilities and the prevalence of disability is actually higher among women than men (19.2 versus 12 per cent). Contributing factors include the lower economic and social status of women and girls, gender-based violence and harmful or gender-discriminatory practices.
UN Women
Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, including those with disabilities.
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