Brenda Akia becomes first Ugandan to be elected to UN CEDAW committee

Ugandan human rights activist, Brenda Akia has been elected to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Akia’s victory makes her the first ever Ugandan on the 12-member committee.

In the elections held on Thursday in New York, Akia emerged second out of 23 candidates with 139 votes.

Her term of office will begin on January 2023 and end on December 31, 2023.

Commenting on her victory, she thanked CEDAW member states and Uganda’s permanent representative to the UN, Adonia Ayebare, for electing and supporting her respectively.

“I am thankful to CEDAW member states for electing me as Uganda’s first candidate to the UN CEDAW committee. Thank you Adonia Ayebare for making this possible. The real work begins to advance the respect of women’s rights and promote gender equality.” Akia said.

Adopted in 1979 by the UN general assembly, CEDAW is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of action on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women around the world.

It helps women around the world to bring about change in their daily lives by opposing all kinds of discrimination, which include violence, poverty, and lack of legal protections, along with the denial of inheritance, property rights, and access to credit.