Afghanistan Swears in New Parliamentarians.
Photo courtesy of UN Photos: Eric Kanalstein.
FACT SHEET
Convention on the Elimination
of All forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW)
‘The first international treaty to address the fundamental rights of women in
politics, health care, education, economics, employment, law, property and
marriage and family relations’.
CEDAW – What is it?
The Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) is
the most comprehensive human
rights instrument to protect
women from discrimination. It
is the first international treaty to
address the fundamental rights
of women in politics, health care,
education, economics, employment,
law, property and marriage and
family relations.
CEDAW was adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly in 1979. It
entered into force on the 3rd September
1981, with 64 States signing the
Convention. As of June 2010, 186
States are party to the convention
including 99 signatories to the Optional
Protocol. CEDAW is part of international
law and is monitored by the CEDAW
Committee at the United Nations.
Definition of Discrimination
Article 1 of CEDAW defines
discrimination against women as “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 and
other field”.
What rights are included
in CEDAW?
CEDAW discusses the rights of women
in relation to all aspects of life. That
is, economic, social, cultural, civil and
political rights.
Economic
Article 13 of the Convention requires
governments to act to ensure equal
access for women in relation to
family benefits, loans and all forms
of financial credit.
Social
Article 10 ensures equal access to
education and vocational guidance
for women, equal access to the same
curricula, examinations and teaching
quality, equal access to scholarships
and study grants and finally, equal
access to adult education including
literacy programs.
Article 11 ensures the same
employment rights as men, right to free
choice of profession, promotion and job
security. In addition, equal remuneration
and access to social security. Finally,
the article ensures no discrimination
against women who are pregnant,
in relation to their status of marriage
or of maternity, ensuring a safe work
environment in relation to health.
Article 12 ensures equal access
to health care services including
family planning.
Article 14 recognises the role of rural
women in the economic survival
of their families and ensures equal
access of rural women to health care,
social security, education and training,
agricultural credit and loans, equal
treatment in owning land and the right
to enjoy adequate living conditions.

FACT SHEET
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (also
known as the CEDAW Committee) was established in 1982 and is the body of
independent experts that monitors implementation of CEDAW.
Cultural
Article 5 ensures governments strive
to eliminate cultural and traditional
practices that perpetuate discrimination
and gender stereotyping of women.
Article 13, of the Convention ensures
equal access of women to participate
in recreational activities, sports and all
aspects of cultural life.
Civil
Article 9 ensures the right of women
to change their own or their children’s
nationality. Article 15 affords women
equality before the law including
entering contracts, administering
property, the right to free movement of
persons and to choose their residence
and domicile. Article 16 ensures equal
right to enter into a marriage, to freely
choose their spouse, same rights as
men during the marriage and on its
dissolution, equal rights to the birth,
adoption and raising of children.
Political
Article 7 ensures that women have
the right to vote, hold office and
actively participate in political parties,
lobby groups and NGOs. Article 8
ensures that women have the ability
to represent their government at the
international level and participate in
international organisations.
Liberian Women Take Literacy Class through Pilot Project.
Photo courtesy of UN Photos: Christopher Herwig.
CEDAW allows a State to make a
reservation in relation to certain aspects
of the Convention provided that the
reservations are not incompatible
with the object and purpose of
the Convention. Reservations
are expressed before signing the
Convention and can be changed at
any time reflecting changes in policy
circumstances within the state.
Monitoring implementation
The Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women (also
known as the CEDAW Committee)
was established in 1982 and is the
body of independent experts that
monitors implementation of CEDAW.
The Committee is made up of 23
independent experts whom are
nominated by those governments which
have ratified CEDAW and are then
elected by a secret ballot. Their term
lasts four years, with only half of the
Committee members replaced each
time. The members are representative
of the UN regional
States who have become party to the
treaty are obliged to submit regular
reports to the CEDAW Committee on
how the rights set out in the Convention
are implemented. During its sessions,
the Committee considers each State
party report and addresses its concerns
and recommendations to the State party
in the form of concluding observations.
The Committee also formulates general
recommendations and suggestions.
General recommendations are directed
to States and concern articles or
themes in the Convention.
General Recommendations
The Committee also makes
recommendations on any issue affecting
women to which it believes the States
parties should devote more attention.
Article 21 of the Convention empowers
the CEDAW Committee to make
general recommendations on issues
that they have noted warrant greater
conceptual elaboration and attention
by States. As of September 2009, the
CEDAW Committee has adopted 26
such recommendations, including on
the following issues: violence against
women; equal remuneration for work
of equal value; female circumcision;
women and AIDS; disabled women;
equality in marriage and family relations;
women in political and public life;
women and health; women and migrant
workers. Other recommendations have
been on technical matters such as
reporting, reservations, and resources.

FACT SHEET
In 2000, an Optional Protocol entered into force which allows for individual
women or women groups to submit claims of violations of CEDAW directly to
the CEDAW Committee.
For example, at the 1989 session, the
Committee discussed the high incidence
of violence against women, requesting
information on this problem from all
countries. In 1992, the Committee
adopted general recommendation 19,
which requires national reports to the
Committee to include statistical data
on the incidence of violence against
women, information on the provision of
services for victims, and legislative and
other measures taken to protect women
against violence in their everyday lives
such as harassment in the workplace,
abuse in the family and sexual violence.
As of January 2008, the Committee has
made 25 general recommendations.
The Optional Protocol
In 2000, an Optional Protocol entered
into force which allows for individual
women or women groups to submit
claims of violations of CEDAW directly
to the CEDAW Committee.
Before being able to submit a claim
there are several requirements which
need to be met domestically including
the exhaustion of domestic remedies;
that is, taking their complaints to
the courts and police. The Optional
Mechanism gives the Committee
powers of inquiry into situations of grave
systematic violations of women’s rights;
however these inquiries can only be
carried out in those States which are
party to the Optional Mechanism.
This factsheet has been produced by UN Women Australia GPO Box 2824 Canberra ACT 2601.
www.unwomen.org.au | www.genderequalityonline.org.au
Women’s Pottery Workshop.
Photo courtesy of UN Photos: Mark Garten.
CEDAW and Australia It is important to note that even
Australia was one of the first States though Australia began a paid
to sign CEDAW on 17th July 1980. parental leave scheme starting on
Australia ratified CEDAW in 1983, 1st January 2011, the reservation
with two reservations being in relation to CEDAW in Article 11 remains.
to Article 11; the introduction of paid
maternity leave and the inclusion of Useful links and References
women in combat units.
www.unwomen.org
The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 gave www.unwomen.org.au
effect to Australia’s obligations under
CEDAW and has since been amended. www.genderequalityonline.org.au
Australia recently appeared before the www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cedaw.
CEDAW Committee for its combined 6th htm
and 7th Report. While some progress
has been noted, areas of concern that www.un.org/womenwatch/
remain for the Committee include: www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw
Violence against women
Political and public life participation
and inadequate use of temporary
special measures
Inadequate legislative frameworks
for addressing discrimination
Employment and pay equity
Disadvantaged groups of women
which include Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander women, women
migrants, refugees and asylum
seekers and women with disabilities