A Brief History of CEDAW

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was established in 1946 as a commission to protect women's rights. Their goal was to promote the principle that women and men are equal and to create proposals to ensure the development of women. The creation of the commission has resulted in may declarations and conventions that protect and support the rights of women. 


The text of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was written by the Commission during 1976. The Convention was adopted by the UN in 1979 and was presented at a special ceremony that took place at the Copenhagen Conference on 17 July 1980. That day, sixty-four countries signed the Convention and two submitted their ratifications on the spot. It was ultimately put into force on September 3rd, 1981, after the twentieth country had ratified it. It had been put into force faster than any convention that had come before it. 


Today, only seven countries remain that have not ratified the Convention. The United States is the only developed nation that has not ratified, though it has signed it. 


To learn more about CEDAW's history, accomplishments or to read the full text of the Convention visit:


http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ 


Post by Meghan.