UN Convention on Elimination on all Forms of Discrimination against Women

It was adopted by the UN in 1979 to curb all forms of discrimination against woman. The Convention is structured in six parts with 30 articles in 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 state’s parties and the administration of the Convention.

189/193 countries have ratified the convention and are abiding by the provisions of the convention. One major country that have signed but yet not ratified the convention is USA.