GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — Last week, Executive Director Samad Quraishi and Assistant Directors Antonia Gouvis & Vedansh Garg joined the United Nations Human Rights Committee for their 141st Session in Geneva to discuss the ability for Indians to participate in the public affairs processes. The Centre’s delegation joined dialogue with the Committee to highlight their report focusing on black money, muted judicial checks on the executive branch, and the lack of civic education stifling future youth political representation.
The International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty guaranteeing the equal protection of civil societies worldwide. The Centre has previously worked with UN mechanisms in the review of Somalia. However during the 141st session, CVIA decided to focus on India, which exercises the largest democratic process in the world.
In India, the national availability for primary and secondary schools to girls in the eligible age is only 20%, compared to the abundance of male schooling. However, certain regions of India – such as Telangana or Karne Shireesha – allow youth to receive civics education which consequentially results in increased Parliamentary representation of those respective areas.
With women holding only 14% of Parliament seats and given the Centre's commitment in utilising civics education as a method for representation and gradual change, the Centre urged the Committee to press the Indian government for increased civics education initiatives. The Centre views human rights issues in the thematic focus of civic empowerment, and firmly upholds early education as a catalyst for future prosperity.
The Centre was pleased to see our recommendations acknowledged by the Committee in continuous dialogue, which were then passed on to the Indian government. The delegation included Mr. R. VENKATARAMANI, Attorney General; Mr. Tushar MEHTA, Solicitor General; Mr. Pavan KAPOOR, Vice Minister of External Affairs; and Mr. Arindam BAGCHI, India Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, amongst others.
Independent Committee Expert of France, Ms. Hélène TIGROUDJA, took particular interest in Assistant Director Gouvis’ remarks on civics education and thanked her for presenting the report. Thanks to continued dialogue between the Committee and Ms. Gouvis, Ms. Tigroudja inquired to India: “What measures have been taken in the meantime to increase women's presence in politics by guaranteeing civic education for young girls and women in particular?”
You may watch a full video of Ms. Tigroudja’s remarks here. Read the Centre’s report on India’s human rights violations in the thematic focus of elections here. Learn more about the Centre's work with human rights mechanisms here.
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