Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) : origins, aims and function
(1)
CEDAW was adopted by the United NationsGeneral
Assembly in December 1979 and entered into force in
September 1981. As of August 1992, CEDAW had been ratified
or acceded to by 118 countries. These include the UK (in
respect of its metropolitan territory and several of her dependent territories, but not including Hong Kong) and the People's Republic of China. USA, on the other hand, is not
a party to the Convention.
(2)
CEDAW obliges States Parties to take steps to eliminate unlawful discrimination against women by public and private bodies and to ensure that women enjoy, on the basis of equality with men, a broad range of rights in most
of social activity. The Convention combines
guarantees of civil and political rights, and guarantees of economic, social and cultural rights in one instrument.
areas
(3)
is
A country which becomes a party to the Convention obliged to submit regular reports on the progress made
and the difficulties faced in the implementation of the Convention. These reports are considered by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (the CEDAW Committee), the monitoring body established by the
Convention.
(4)
Unlike some other international treaties, the
Convention does not provide for any procedures whereby the CEDAW Committee can entertain individual complaints of violations
of the rights guaranteed under the Convention. However,
the Committee does have the power under Article 21 of the make "suggestions and general
recommendations" based on its review of States Parties'
recommendations are considered
Convention
reports.
to
While these
collective pronouncements of the monitoring body, they are not formally binding interpretations of the Convention.