Introduction

Subject(s):

Gender — UN Charter

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which remains a key international human rights instrument more than forty years after its entry into force. The Convention’s scope is wide, requiring States parties to address how the enjoyment of recognized human rights is adversely affected by gender-based distinctions, exclusions, and stereotypes. The chapter then outlines the Convention’s adoption, structure, and key concepts. It summarizes the most significant issues of Convention application and interpretation and the ways in which the CEDAW Committee has sought to ensure the Convention’s continuing relevance for women around the world and the developments brought by interpretation. The chapter also looks at the principles of general international law which affect interpretation and implementation of the Convention. It also describes the present-day fundamental challenges for women’s human rights.