Commitments Abroad, Inequalities at Home: The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women - What it is and why it matters

The coalition known as the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) was founded in 1999 to monitor Canada's implementation of its human rights commitments to women. This toolkit was designed for coalition members, policy-makers and parliamentarians. The aim is to help these groups and individuals to understand the intricacies of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and show how they can take action to ensure UN recommendations are implemented at all levels of government. The pack is divided into four sections: (1) Women and the Convention in Canada; (2) Spreading the Word; (3) What Governments in Canada Must Do; (4) CEDAW in the Global Context. FAFIA acknowledges that Canada takes its obligations under CEDAW seriously; however, the coalition states that the pursuit of women's equality requires engagement by women across Canada at all levels of government. The toolkit includes a list of resources and an evaluation form. [Descriptors: CEDAW Convention, Canada]