Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Opened for signature	18 December 1979 in New York City
Entered into force	3 September 1981
Conditions for entry into force	20 ratifications
Parties	185[1]

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international convention adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. Described as an international bill of rights for women, it came into force on 3 September 1981. The United States is the only developed nation that has not ratified the CEDAW. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... John Hancocks signature is one of the most prominent on the United States Declaration of Independence. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Coming into force refers to the date on which a legislation, or part of legislation, becomes a law. ... is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... A party is a person or group of persons that compose a single entity which can be identified as one for the purposes of the law. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... The United Nations General Assembly (GA) is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations. ... A bill of rights is a list or summary of which is considered important and essential by a group of people. ... Diverse women. ... is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Convention

The Convention defines discrimination against women in the following terms:

Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.

It also establishes an agenda of action for putting an end to sex-based discrimination: States ratifying the Convention are required to enshrine male/female equality into their domestic legislation, repeal all discriminatory provisions in their laws, and enact new provisions to guard against discrimination against women. They must also establish tribunals and public institutions to guarantee women effective protection against discrimination, and take steps to eliminate all forms of discrimination practised against women by individuals, organizations, and enterprises.

Ratification

Taiwan

In 2007,after much pressure from women's organizations such as the National Alliance of Taiwan Women's Associations, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan ratified the stipulations of CEDAW into its own domestic policy. It is still awaiting CEDAW's approval of its ratification.^[2] The National Alliance of Taiwan Women’s Associations (NATWA)(Chinese: 臺灣婦女團體全國聯合會) is the only umbrella group for organizations promoting women’s interests across the island of Taiwan. ... The Legislative Yuan building in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (the view is partially obscured by the childrens hospital building of the National Taiwan University Hospital). ...

The Committee

Convention oversight is the task of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which is made up of 23 experts on women's issues from different UN member states. The Committee meets twice a year to review reports on compliance with the Convention's provisions that the signatory nations are required to submit every four years. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women Place signed New York Date signed 1979 Date entered into force September 3, 1981 Parties 180[1] The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is an international convention adopted in 1979 by the...

The committee is one of the seven UN-linked human rights treaty bodies. The United Nations-linked human rights treaty bodies are committees of independent experts that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties. ...

The Committee's members, described as "experts of high moral standing and competence in the field covered by the Convention", are elected to serve four-year terms in staggered elections held every two years. Its officers are a chairperson, three vice-chairpersons, and a rapporteur. Efforts are made to ensure balanced geographical representation and the inclusion of the world's different forms of civilization and legal systems.

Optional Protocol

In 1999, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Optional Protocol of CEDAW. The Protocol includes a procedure through which individual women or groups can denounce national violations of CEDAW directly to CEDAW’s committee of experts. As of July 2007, 88 states had ratified the Protocol.^[3]

Controversy

The CEDAW has been controversial for statements seen by some as promoting radical feminism. Particularly referenced is a 2000 report which said that in Belarus, "the Committee is concerned by the continuing prevalence of sex-role stereotypes and by the reintroduction of such symbols as a Mothers' Day and a Mothers' Award, which it sees as encouraging women's traditional roles."^[4] Also in 2000, a report on Austria suggested that the government use "federal funding for political parties as an incentive for the increased representation of women in Parliament" and "integrate gender studies and feminist research in university curricula and research programmes" ^[5]. Other controversial positions of CEDAW include supporting the decriminalization of prostitution, criticizing Slovenia because only 30% of children are in daycare, demanding equal treatment for work of "equal value", and a treaty requirement that nations "embody the principle of the equality of men and women in their national constitution or other appropriate legislation." These requests are seen by Concerned Women for America and other anti-feminist and Christian Right groups as a backdoor to an Equal Rights Amendment or comparable national legislation.^[6] Australian and (defunct) New Zealand anti-feminist groups voiced similar concerns in the early eighties. Concerned Women for America is a conservative Christian political action group active in the United States. ... Headquarters of the National Association Opposed To Woman Suffrage (1911?), an early antifeminist organization Antifeminism is the opposition to feminism. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The term Christian Right is used... The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that was intended to guarantee equal rights under the law for Americans regardless of sex. ...

More recently, the controversy concerning CEDAW has centered around the question of easy access to abortion and contraception. According to C-FAM (the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute), at UN meetings officials pressed the delegation from Colombia to liberalize its abortion laws and to inaugurate campaigns encouraging contraceptive use and "reproductive health awareness".

Cultural bias

Many Islamic countries view the CEDAW as culturally biased towards the Western nations and have consequently placed reservations on the elements that they see as in fundamental contradiction with Islamic Sharia law. Islam (Arabic: ; ( ▶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Sharia (Arabic: transliteration: ) is the body of Islamic law. ...

The seven UN member states that have not signed the convention are Iran, Nauru, Palau, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, and Tonga. These are either Islamic states (Iran, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan) or small Pacific Island nations (Nauru, Palau, Tonga). Niue and the Vatican City have also not signed it. The United States has signed, but not yet ratified.

See also

• Equal Rights Amendment
• Parental leave

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that was intended to guarantee equal rights under the law for Americans regardless of sex. ... Lost, see Maternity Leave (Lost). ...

References

External link

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

• UN CEDAW site, links to full text of document, country reports, lists of reservations stated by particular countries, etc.
  
• CEDAW Southeast Asia Programme (CEDAW SEAP) funded by Canadian International Development Agency