PROGRAMME AGENDA JUDICIAL COLLOQUIUM ON GENDER EQUALITY JURISPRUDENCE AND THE ROLE OF THE JUDICIARY IN PROMOTING WOMENS ACCESS

TO JUSTICE 4-5 September 2013 InterContinental Hotel, Bangkok Thailand FIRST DAY, 4 September 2013
8:00 8:30

Registration

8:30 10:00 Welcome by the Chair Hon. Judge Wirat Chinwinigkul, Secretary-General of the Thai Office of the Judiciary Remarks Mr. Saman Zia-Zarifi, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Remarks Ms. Roberta Clarke, Regional Director of UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Opening Note H.E. Mr Philip Calvert, Ambassador of Canada Group Photo 10:00 - 11:15

Session One Introducing the issues: Gender equality jurisprudence and the role of the judiciary in promoting womens access to justice
Chair: Justice Suntariya Muanpawong, Chief Judge of the Juvenile and Family Court of Nakhon Pathom Province Overview of feminist legal theory and practice Prof. Virada Somswadi, Chiang Mai University (15 mins) A general overview of barriers women face in accessing justice Ms. Shanthi Dairiam, Director, International Womens Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) (15 mins) Manifestations of gender bias in the judiciary Judge Adele Kent, National Judicial Institute, Canada (15 mins)

Discussion (30 minutes) 11:15 11:30 REFRESHMENTS

11:30 13:15

Session Two How the judiciary may respond when culture, customary and traditional practices or religion are invoked as justification for violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms of women
Chair: Judge Maria Natercia, Judge of the Court of Appeal, Timor-Leste Key considerations for the judiciary: Justice Marvic Leonen, Supreme Court of the Philippines (20 mins) CSO Perspective: Ms. Ratna Osman, Director, Sisters in Islam (SIS), Malaysia (15 mins) Ms. Vichuta Ly, Director, Legal Support for Children and Women, Cambodia (15 mins)

Discussion (40mins) 13:15 14:15 14:15 15:30

LUNCH Session Three Domestic legislation and the CEDAW

Chair: Ms. Roberta Clarke, Regional Director, UN WOMEN Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Overview of status of implementation of CEDAW principles in Southeast Asia Ms. Shanthi Dairiam, Director, IWRAW Asia Pacific (15 minutes) The role of the judiciary in identifying gaps between domestic legislation and the CEDAW Ms. Imrana Jalal, Senior Social Development Specialist on Gender and Development (Asian Development Bank)/ ICJ Commissioner (15 minutes)

Discussion (45 mins) 15:30 15:45 15:45 17:20

REFRESHMENTS Session Four Judicial decisions addressing violations of womens human rights in the private sphere, applying CEDAW and other international human rights instruments
Chair: Ms. Imrana Jalal, Senior Social Development Specialist on Gender and Development (Asian Development Bank)/ ICJ Commissioner Applying CEDAW in deciding cases of VAW/domestic violence Justice Vacharin Patjekvinyusakul, Presiding Judge of the Supreme Court, Thailand (20 minutes) The legal and conceptual framework of battered woman syndrome as a defense Judge Adoracion Cruz Avisado, Transformative Justice Institute, Philippines (20 mins) Key considerations for the judiciary in cases of violations of womens human rights in the private sphere Ms. Sri Nurherwati, Commissioners, Komnas Perempuan, Indonesia (15 mins)

Discussion (40 minutes) 18:30 20:30

Reception dinner

SECOND DAY, 5 September 2013

8:30 9:00 9:00 10:15

Registration Session Five Judicial decisions addressing violations of womens human rights in the public sphere, applying CEDAW and other international human rights instruments
Chair: Ms. Imrana Jalal, Senior Social Development Specialist on Gender and Development (Asian Development Bank)/ ICJ Commissioner Applying CEDAW in addressing workplace discrimination Mr. Edmund Bon, counsel for the petitioner in the case Noorfadilla Ahmad Saikin v. Chayed Bin Basirun, et. Al., Malaysia (15 mins) Gender stereotyping in rape trials Ms. Evalyn Ursua, counsel in the case Vertido vs. The Philippines (15 mins)

Discussion (45 mins) 10:15 10:30 10:30 12:00

REFRESHMENTS Session Six Enhancing training on womens human rights for the judiciary and court personnel
Chair: Prof. Virada Somswadi, Chiang Mai University Existing programs in the following countries: 1. Canada Judge Adele Kent, National Judicial Institute of Canada (15 mins) 2. Philippines - Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna, Chancellor, Philippine Judicial Academy Associate Justice (Ret.), Supreme Court of the Philippines (15 mins) 3. Thailand Ms. Naiyana Supapung, Director of Teeranat Kanjanauksorn Foundation, Thailand (15 mins)

Discussion (45 minutes) 12:00 13:00 13:00 14:30

LUNCH Small group discussion Advancing judicial awareness and education on womens human rights and access to justice
Small group discussion: strategies and entry points for strengthening judicial awareness and education on womens human rights and access to justice.

Guide questions for the small group discussion:

1. How is judicial sensitization/continuing education structured in your country? 2. Who are the key partners you have in judicial sensitization/continuing education? (Note: these partners may be CSOs whether national or international or inter-governmental organizations such as UN Women, UNDP)

3. How could gender equality and womens access to justice be integrated into existing programmes that your judicial training institution is already implementing? 4. What are other strategies you suggest for reaching judges with ongoing judicial sensitization and education on gender equality and womens access to justice? (Note: these strategies may be more dialogues at the national level, online resources, networking among judges, etc.) 14:30 15:00 15:00 16:30

REFRESHMENTS Reporting back and plenary Advancing judicial awareness and education on womens human rights and access to justice
Chair: Mr. Sam Zarifi, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Report back from groups and exchange in plenary

Discussion 16:30 17:00

Wrap-up and Closing

Concluding remarks on behalf of the organisers: - Office of the Thai Judiciary - International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) - UN Women