The officers of the Committee consist of a Chairperson, three Vice-Chairpersons and a Rapporteur. Office-bearers serve for two year terms and are eligible for re-election “provided that the principle of rotation is upheld”.

Membership of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, As of 1 January 2013 and up to 31 December 2016

Name of Member	Nationality	Term expires on 31 December
Ms. Ayse Feride Acar	Turkey	31.12.2018
Ms. Gladys Acosta Vargas	Peru	31.12.2018
Ms. Nicole Ameline	France	31.12.2016
Ms. Bakhita Al-Dosari*	Qatar	31.12.2016
Ms. Magalys Arocha Dominguez	Cuba	31.12.2018
Ms. Barbara Bailey (Vice-Chairperson)	Jamaica	31.12.2016
Mr. Niklas Bruun	Finland	31.12.2016
Ms. Louiza CHALAL**	Algeria	31.12.2018
Ms. Naéla Gabr (Vice-Chairperson)	Egypt	31.12.2018
Ms. Hilary Gbedemah	Ghana	31.12.2016
Ms. Nahla Haidar	Lebanon	31.12.2016
Ms. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari	Israel	31.12.2018
Ms. Yoko Hayashi (Chairperson)	Japan	31.12.2018
Ms. Lilian Hofmeister	Austria	31.12.2018
Ms. Ismat Jahan	Bangladesh	31.12.2018
Ms. Dalia Leinarte (Vice-Chairperson)	Lithuania	31.12.2016
Ms. Lia Nadaraia	Georgia	31.12.2018
Ms. Theodora Oby Nwankwo	Nigeria	31.12.2016
Ms. Pramila Patten	Mauritius	31.12.2018
Ms. Silvia Pimentel	Brazil	31.12.2016
Ms. Biancamaria Pomeranzi	Italy	31.12.2016
Ms. Patricia Schulz (Rapporteur)	Switzerland	31.12.2018
Ms. Xiaoqiao Zou	China	31.12.2016

* On 4 November 2014, Ms. Bakhita Mohammed Al-Dosari was appointed to serve as a member of the Committee for the remainder of the term of Noor Al-Jehani (i.e. until 31 December 2016) who had resigned from the Committee on 2 September 2014.

** On 6 November 2014, Ms. Chalal was appointed to serve as a member of the Committee for the term of the late Kheira Mahdjoub-Ouiguini (i.e. 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2018) who had been elected as a member of the Committee on 26 June 2014 and passed away on 6 September 2014.

The persons elected to the Committee are those nominees who obtained the largest number of votes and an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of States parties present and voting.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women is established under article 17 of the Convention. It is composed of 23 experts who are elected by secret ballot by States parties. The Committee is tasked with the review of the reports of States parties submitted in accordance with article 18 of the Convention.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention, which entered into force in December 2000, empowers the Committee to consider communications submitted by individuals or groups of individuals alleging violations of the Convention in States parties to the Convention and the Optional Protocol. The Optional Protocol also entitles the Committee of its own motion to inquire into grave or systematic violations of the Convention in those States parties where this procedure is applicable, in accordance with articles 8 and 10.

Committee members serve in their personal capacities, and not as representatives of the States parties which present their candidature.