The Women s Convention

The Womenʹs Convention

This contribution focuses on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It first provides a brief overview of the protection of the human rights of women in the United Nations framework. CEDAW is a legally binding human rights instruments, which has unique characteristics. The definition of discrimination not only encompasses discrimination in the public sphere, but also discrimination in the private sphere. Article 2 CEDAW describes in detail the type of steps States parties must take to give effect to the substantive provisions of the Convention. Further, article 5 contains an obligation that is not included in any other human rights treaty, namely the obligation to combat traditional roles of men and women and to eliminate stereotypes. The sum of the obligations is that CEDAW requires States parties to ensure to women de jure and de facto equality with men, and also to address the underlying causes of discrimination. The article gives a brief overview of the contents of CEDAW. The implementation of obligations is monitored by a committee of independent experts, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. This Committee has various means at its disposal. First, under the reporting procedure - which is mandatory for all States parties -States must periodically submit reports on the measures they have taken to give effect to CEDAW. The Committee considers these reports, and gives its views on the compliance with CEDAW in concluding comments. Furthermore, there is an Optional Protocol, containing two supervisory procedures. First, under the individual complaints procedure, women who claim that there rights guaranteed in CEDAW have been violated can submit a complaint to the Committee for its examination. Second, if the Committee receives information that provisions of CEDAW are violated in a grave or systematic way, it can start an inquiry procedure.