The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. Described as an international bill of rights for women, it was instituted in 1981 and has been ratified by 189 states. Over 50 countries that have ratified the Convention have done so subject to certain declarations, reservations and objections, including 38 countries that rejected the enforcement of Article 29 which addresses means of settlement for disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention. The United States and Palau have signed but not ratified the treaty. The Holy See, Iran, Somalia, Sudan and Tonga are not signatories to CEDAW.
DAWN engages with CEDAW via the submission of shadow reports, training of civil society organisations to prepare shadow reports, and other forms of advocacy aimed at influencing CEDAW’s processes. You can access a number of these reports and learn more about the processes and themes discussed under the banner of this important UN Convention.
