September 3 in History
1981 – The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, an international bill of rights for women, is instituted by the United Nations
Described as an international bill of rights for women, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), ratified by 189 states, was instituted on this day in1981. It was adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly.
Over 50 countries ratified the treaty 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.
Australia’s declaration noted the limitations on central government power resulting from its federal constitutional system. 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.
The convention, which has a similar format to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, “both with regard to the scope of its substantive obligations and its international monitoring mechanisms”, is structured in six parts with 30 articles total.
- Part I(Articles 1–6) focuses on non-discrimination, sex stereotypes, and sex trafficking.
- Part II(Articles 7–9) outlines women’s rights in the public sphere with an emphasis on political life, representation, and rights to nationality.
- Part III(Articles 10–14) describes the economic and social rights of women, particularly focusing on education, employment, and health. Part III also includes special protections for rural women and the problems they face.
- Part IV(Article 15 and 16) outlines women’s right to equality in marriage and family life along with the right to equality before the law.
- Part V(Articles 17–22) establishes the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women as well as the states parties’ reporting procedure.
- Part VI(Articles 23–30) describes the effects of the convention on other treaties, the commitment of the states parties and the administration of the convention.
-Wikipedia
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