Fact Sheet No. 22, Discrimination against Women: The Convention and the Committee

In 1979, the General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Convention sets out, in legally binding form, intemationally accepted principles on the rights of women which are applicable to all women in all fields. These principles cannot be met merely by the enactment of gender-neutral laws. In addition to demanding that women be accorded equal rights with men, the Convention goes further by prescribing the measures to be taken to ensure that women everywhere are able to enjoy the rights to which they are entitled. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was established under the Convention. The Committee is entrusted with the task of overseeing the implementation of the Convention by States parties. This Fact Sheet is divided into two main parts. Part I sets out and explains the substantive provisions of the Convention. Part II provides an overview of the structure and functioning of the Committee. Links are also provided to the original text of the convention, and to an up to date record of which states have ratified and with what reservations.