CEDAW

THE CONVENTION ON ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATIONS AGAINST WOMEN

is a legally binding International Human Rights Agreement of states on women’s human rights. It defines human rights principles, concepts and related standards of conduct and obligations that States Parties to the Convention agree to fulfill. With a total of 30 Articles, it is a comprehensive bill of rights and a platform for action for women, addressing concerns hitherto treated in an ad hoc manner. CEDAW was adopted by the UN General Assembly on the 18th of December 1979. It came into force on the 3rd of September 1981, once it had been ratified by 20 countries. With 178 States Parties (as of September 2004), the CEDAW Convention remains one of the most highly ratified human rights treaties.