Discrimination against women

The UN will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Optional Protocol to The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women next month.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the international human rights treaty for women, was adopted by the UN General Assembly 30 years ago, on December 18, 1979.

The Optional Protocol empowers the CEDAW Committee to hear complaints of rights violations brought by individuals. To date, 186 countries have ratified the Convention and 98 of these countries have ratified the Optional Protocol.

The Convention's 30th Anniversary provides an occasion to celebrate its near-universal ratification, as well as the recent progress that has been made at the national level to implement CEDAW and make true gains for women's and girls' rights on a practical, everyday level.

Through the passage of new constitutions as well as national laws and policies based on the principle of gender equality, women's human rights are now becoming national standards.

The leadership that has already been demonstrated should be built upon to support states that lack the knowledge, commitment, or legal framework to advance the implementation of the Convention within their jurisdictions.

Upon becoming parties to the Convention, states commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women, including:

• To incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women;

• To establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and

• To ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organisations or enterprises.

Sometimes, in areas in which the long-term effects of discrimination have seriously disadvantaged women, laws may be required that give women not just formal equal treatment with men, but preferential treatment. (Source: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights)