No: 215, 27 June 2014

The elections to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which is the monitoring body of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to which Turkey is a party since 1985, was held on 26 June 2014 in New York.

Professor Feride Acar, a faculty member of the Middle East Technical University, was reelected to the Committee for the term 2015-2018 by obtaining 150 votes at the elections in which eighteen candidates competed.

Professor Acar was a member of the CEDAW for two consecutive terms between 1997 and 2005 and chaired the Committee between 2003 and 2005. She has been reelected for the 2015-2018 period following her present term for 2011-2014 and will be serving on the Committee for the fourth time.

The fact that this distinguished academic will serve for another term on the CEDAW, which is a very important body within the UN system, will provide valuable contributions to Turkey's efforts with regard to the improvement of women's rights both in terms of legislation and implementation.