Women's Human Rights Resources Database

The First CEDAW [Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women] Impact Study was designed by the International Advisory Committee as a pilot study in ten countries that are member States of the United Nations, to gather qualitative and quantitative data from the "grassroots" in order to develop better measurements of the implementation of human rights guarantees from the perspective of women's rights activists. The 232 page study was published by the Centre for Feminist Research and the International Women's Rights Project, York University, Toronto, Canada. It includes an introduction by Andrew Byrnes and Jane Connors as well as reports from: Canada, Germany, Japan, Nepal, Netherlands, Panama, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and Ukraine.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (OP-CEDAW) was adopted by the UN General Assembly on October 6, 1999 and entered into force December 21, 2000. The Optional Protocol provides for two procedures: 1) a communications procedures that allows women to submit claims of violations of rights potected under the Convention to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; and 2) an inquiry procedure enabling the Committee to initiate inquiries into situations of grave or systematic violations of women's rights. [Descriptors: Applying Human Rights Law - International, CEDAW Convention, Key Texts, International]

This document explains the structure and function of the committee that monitors the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The author analyzes the committee's work, its political impact, and the implications and challenges of the process, especially in relation to the roles played by governments and the international women's movement. The document concludes with a bibliography of documents and links concerning CEDAW. [CEDAW Convention]

Canada is a party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (OP-CEDAW). This short pamphlet, produced by Status of Women Canada, discusses the CEDAW treaty and its Optional Protocol in general terms, along with the communication and inquiry procedures under OP-CEDAW. Finally, the pamphlet outlines the Canadian domestic human rights instruments that serve to protect gender equality and women's human rights more generally. The document concludes by providing a list of contact details for the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and, in Canada, Status of Women Canada, the Canadian government's Human Rights Program, and the Canadian Human Rights Commission along with links to the pertinent international conventions and domestic legislation. [Descriptors: CEDAW Convention, Canada]

In its introduction, this document provides an overview of what the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is, describes the CEDAW Committee and how it works to enforce CEDAW, summarizes CEDAW's articles, and lists countries that have and have not ratified CEDAW. After describing the status of CEDAW in the United States, the authors outline the impact that CEDAW has had on numerous issues pertinent to women, including violence, education, trafficking, HIV/AIDS, terrorism and peace. The document then seeks to dispel the myths about CEDAW that have been perpetuated by those against the US ratification of the treaty, such as its interference with sovereignty, its promotion of abortion, its promotion of same-sex marriage, and its opposition to Mother's Day. This document also includes the treaty text, the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Report on CEDAW of 2002, and a glossary. [CEDAW Convention]

This recommendation aims to clarify the scope and meaning of Article 2 of CEDAW, which identifies the nature of the general legal obligations of state parties. The recommendation clarifies that these obligations include States legal obligations to protect and fulfill womens rights to non-discrimination and enjoyment of equality, and explains the nature and scope of those obligations. States have an obligation to refrain from directly or indirectly denying women equal opportunities, to protect women from discrimination by private actors, and to take steps to eliminate sexist customary practices. The recommendation provides a list of appropriate means and measures for implementation and accountability and concludes that the Committee views reservations to article 2 as incompatible with the object and purpose of the Convention.

With the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in 2000, the international community signaled its commitment to addressing the inequalities that exist between men and women in armed conflict. While attempts have been made to address the inequalities, progress has been limited and sexual violence and rape continue to be used as a means of war. One of the primary issues is the lack of an accountability mechanism to ensure implementation of the resolution. CEDAW is requesting that Member States collaborate with civil societies and NGOs to improve implementation. The Committee notes that states can help reduce the level of violence during armed conflict by responding to womens needs and protection, prosecuting the individuals responsible for the violence, and encouraging the involvement of women in decision-making.

This document explains how the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) can be used to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic from a gender perspective. The authors argue that women are increasingly infected due to discrimination and inequality. In order to protect their health women need to know the rights they have under CEDAW, such as the right to access to prevention information, the right to be free from sexual coercion under threat of violence, and the right to equal access to healthcare. [CEDAW Convention - International, Reproductive Rights - HIV/AIDS]

This short document lists myths about the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) that have hindered the efforts of those in the United States advocating for the state to ratify CEDAW and provides arguments to counter these assertions. The myths listed reveal fear of the erosion of US sovereignty and the undermining of government authority, as well as the destruction of traditional family and gender roles. [CEDAW Convention]

This manual is designed to serve as a framework for monitoring implementation of the CEDAW. Its main purpose is to assist individuals and women's human rights and other groups and non-governmental organizations to assess the status of women and to determine the extent of Convention implementation in the countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention. It provides comments on the articles of the Convention and poses a series of questions that should be asked and answered in assessing the legal and actual status of women when reporting under the CEDAW. The commentary and questions take into account CEDAW's interpretation of the meaning of obligations accepted under the Convention, as contained in its General Recommendations. Annexes include a full text of the Convention, consolidated guidelines for the initial part of state party reports, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women guidelines regarding the form and content of initial reports of states parties, Committee guidelines for the preparation of second and subsequent reports, general recommendations adopted by the Committee, and the U.N. Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

This report discussed the ways in which gender-based discrimination intersects with discrimination based on other forms of "otherness", such as race, ethnicity, religion and economic status. The Special Rapporteur notes that prevailing conventions and laws have sometimes been narrowly interpreted to capture only discrimination or disempowerment that occurs along a single axis of power. Such narrow interpretations contravene the explicit scope of these conventions, laws and declarations that are intended to protect individuals from race and gender- based denial of rights. A specific example is provided in the form of the rights guaranteed by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which include instances of discrimination where gender intersects with other factors such as race.

This report focuses on the key State obligation to provide remedies and access to justice for victims of human rights violations. Citing Article 4(c) of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Special Rapporteur calls upon States to exercise due diligence to investigate, prosecute and punish acts of VAW.