19. Notwithstanding various measures taken by the State party to eliminate gender stereotypes, the Committee is concerned at the pervasiveness of patriarchal attitudes and deep rooted stereotypes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women and men in the family, in the workplace, in political life and society, which constitute serious obstacles to women’s enjoyment of their human rights. The Committee is also concerned that certain groups of women, in addition to being affected by gender stereotypes, face multiple forms of discrimination on grounds such as their ethnicity or their sexuality.

20. The Committee urges the State party to increase its efforts to design and implement comprehensive awareness-raising programmes to foster a better understanding of, and support for, equality between women and men at all levels of society. Such efforts should aim at modifying stereotypical attitudes and cultural norms about the responsibilities and roles of women and men in the family, the workplace, political life and society, as required under articles 2 (f) and 5 (a) of the Convention. The Committee also urges the State party to adopt an overall strategy to eliminate gender stereotypes relating to women in general, and in particular discrimination against women based on their ethnicity or sexuality. This strategy could include awareness-raising programmes in school curricula, the training of teaches and the sensitization of the media and the public at large, including actions specifically targeting men and boys.

Link to full text of the report: Concluding Observations-CEDAW-Guatemala-2009-eng

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