Abstract
This chapter introduces the development and competence of the Commission on the Status of Women, the main UN intergovernmental body, responsible for the advancement of women. Among its major achievements is the elaboration of the draft Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its Optional Protocol. The Convention is overseen by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, whose competence and work are also described.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015), UN Doc. A/RES/70/1
Banda F (2013a) The UN Working Group on discrimination against women. In: Hellum A, Sindig Aasen H (eds) Women’s human rights: CEDAW in international, regional and national law. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 62–94
Banda F (2013b) Article 14: rural women. In: Freeman M, Chinkin C, Rudolf B (eds) The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women: a commentary. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 358–385
Begtrup B (1946) Statement of the chair of the Subcommission on the Status of Women. Bodil Begtrup to ECOSOC, UN Doc E/PV4 (28 May 1946)
Boerefijn I (2013a) Article 17. In: Freeman M, Chinkin C, Rudolf B (eds) The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women: a commentary. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 475–478
Boerefijn I (2013b) Article 21. In: Freeman M, Chinkin C, Rudolf B (eds) The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women: a commentary. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 522–523
Boulding E (1975) Female alternatives to hierarchical systems, past and present: a critique of women’s NGO’s in the light of history. International Associations 6-7:340–346
Butler-Dines K (2017) Saudi Arabia’s election to the UN Commission on the Status of Women: UN blunder or new opportunity? Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) Available at: http://giwps.georgetown.edu/saudi-arabias-election-to-the-un-commission-on-the-status-of-women-un-blunder-or-new-opportunity-2. Accessed 13 February 2018
Byrnes A (2013) The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. In: Hellum A, Sinding Aasen H (eds) Women’s human rights: CEDAW in international, regional and national law. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 27–61
CEDAW Committee (2004) Follow-up report on Argentina, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/ARG/5/Add.1, 29 January 2004
CEDAW Committee (2005) Communication 2/2003 AT v Hungary, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/36/D/2/2003
CEDAW Committee (2006) Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on its 34th, 35th and 36th sessions, UN Doc. A/61/38
CEDAW Committee (2007a) Communication No. 5/2005 Şahide Goekce v Austria, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/39/D/5/2005
CEDAW Committee (2007b) Communication No. 6/2005 Yildirim v Austria, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/39/D/6/2005
CEDAW Committee (2007c) Communication No. 7/2005 Munoz-Varas y Sainz de Vicuna v Spain, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/39/7/2005
CEDAW Committee (2009a) Communication No. 12/2007 Group d’Intérêt pour le Matronyme v France, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/44/D/12/2007
CEDAW Committee (2009b) Communication No. 13/2007 SOS Sexisme v France, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/44/D/13/2007
CEDAW Committee (2010) Communication No. 18/2008 Vertido v the Philippines, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/46/D/18/2008
CEDAW Committee (2011a) Communication No. 17/2008 Alyne da Silva Pimentel Teixera v Brazil, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/49/D/17/2008
CEDAW Committee (2011b), Communication No. 22/2009 LC v Peru, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/50/D/22/2009
CEDAW Committee (2012a) Communication No. 19/2008 Kell v Canada, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/51/D/19/2008
CEDAW Committee (2012b) Communication No. 23/2010 RKB v Turkey, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/51/D/28/2010
CEDAW Committee (2012c) Communication No. 31/2011 SPP v Bulgaria, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/53/D/31/2011
CEDAW Committee (2012d) Communication No. 32/2011 Isatou Jallow v Bulgaria, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/52/D/32/2011
CEDAW Committee (2012e) Communication No. No. 20/2008 VK v Bulgaria, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/49/D/20/2008
CEDAW Committee (2013) Communication No. 44/2012 M.KD-AA v Denmark, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/56/D/44/2012
CEDAW Committee (2014a) Communication No. 34/2011 RPB v the Philippines, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/57/D/34/2011
CEDAW Committee (2014b) Communication No. 7/2012 González Carreňo v Spain, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/48/D/47/2012
CEDAW Committee (2014c) Concluding observations on the combined 7th and 8th periodic reports of China, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/CHIN/CO/7–8
CEDAW Committee (2015a) Communication No. 29/2009 X and Y v Georgia, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/61/D/29/2009
CEDAW Committee (2015b) Summary of the Philippines inquiry, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/OP.8/PHL/1/2015
CEDAW Committee (2017a) General recommendation No. 35 on gender-based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/GC/35, 26 July 2017
CEDAW Committee (2017b) Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on its 67th session, Informal Document, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/2017/II/CRP
CEDAW Committee (2018a) Statement by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on its relationship with non-governmental organizations, http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/Statements/NGO.pdf. Accessed 13 January 2018
CEDAW Committee (2018b) Statement of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on its relationship with national human rights institutions 2008, http://www.ohvhr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/StatementOnNHRIs.pdf. Accessed 13 January 2018
CEDAW Committee and CRC Committee (2014) Joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women/General comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on harmful practices, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/GR/31-CRC/C/GC/18, 4 November 2014
Charlesworth H, Chinkin C (2013) The new United Nations “gender architecture”: the creation of UN women, RegNet research paper series, 2013/7, regulatory institutions network (RegNet). Australian National University, Centre for International Governance and Justice, pp 1–36
Chinkin C Freeman M (2012) introduction. In: Freeman M, Chinkin C. Rudolf B (eds) the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women: a commentary. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 1–33
Chinkin C, Freeman M (2012) Violence against women. In: Freeman M, Chinkin C, Rudolf B (eds) The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women: a commentary. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 443–474
Commission on Human Rights (1988) resolution 188/33 (April 1988) UN Doc E/CN4/Res/1998/33:17
Commission on the Status of Women (1947) Report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its first session (1947) UN Doc (February 1947) E/281/Rev 1:25
Commission on the Status of Women (1972) resolution 10 (XXIV) (February 1972) UN Doc E/CN 6(/568):29
Commission on the Status of Women (1974) Report of the twenty-fifth session, UN doc. In: E/5451
Commission on the Status of Women (1978) Resolution XXVII adopted at its twenty-seventh session, UN doc. E/1978/322/rev.1-E/CN.6/620/rev.1, ECOSOC official records 1978. Supplement No:2
Commission on the Status of Women (1982) draft resolution UN Doc. IV E/1982/14-E/CN.6/1982/14
Commission on the Status of Women (2016) Report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its sixtieth session for the types of trends identified, UN doc. In: E/CN.6/2016/22
Commission on the Status of Women (2017) Report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its sixty-first session, UN doc. In: E/2017/27-E/CN.6/2017/21
Commission on the Status of Women. resolution 7(XXI), UN Doc. E/4472
Connors J (1996) NGOs and the human rights of women at the UN. In: Willets P (ed) The conscience of the world: the influence of non-governmental organisations in the UN system. Hurst, London, pp 147–180
Connors J (2012) Optional Protocol. In: Freeman M, Chinkin C, Rudolf B (eds) The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women: a commentary. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 607–679
ECOSOC (2016) List of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council as of 1 September 2016, UN Doc. E/2016/INF/5, 29 December 2016
ECOSOC. decision 2002/234, 24 July 2002
ECOSOC. decision 2002/235, 24 July 2002
ECOSOC. decision 86/5683, UN Doc. E/5683 (1975)
ECOSOC. draft resolution IV presented to the ECOSOC by the twenty-ninth session of the CSW, UN Doc. E/1982/14-E/CN.6/1982/14
ECOSOC resolution. 1235, UN Doc. E/4935 (1967)
ECOSOC resolution. 1326 (XLIV), 31 May 1968, UN Doc. A/7203
ECOSOC resolution. 1503, UN Doc. E/4832, Add.1 (1970)
ECOSOC resolution. 1987/21, UN Doc. E/RES/1987/21, 26 May 1987
ECOSOC resolution. 1987/24, UN Doc. E/RES/1987/24, 26 May 1987
ECOSOC resolution. 1992/19, UN Doc. E/RES/1992/19, 30 July 1992
ECOSOC resolution. 1993/11, UN Doc. E/RES/1993/11, 27 July 1993
ECOSOC resolution. 1999/257, UN Doc. E/RES/1999/257, 28 July 1999
ECOSOC resolution. 2009/16, UN Doc. E/RES/2009/16, 28 July 2009
ECOSOC resolution. 2015/6, UN Doc. E/RES/2015/6, 31 July 2015
ECOSOC resolution. 2016/3, Multi-year programme of work of the Commission on the Status of Women, UN Doc. E/RES/2016/3, 22 July 2016
ECOSOC resolution. 304 I (XI), UN Doc. E/1849, 14 and 17 July 1950
ECOSOC resolution. 76 (V) 1947, UN Doc. E/573, 5 August 1947
ECOSOC resolution E/RES/196 (VIII) (1949) calling for cooperation between the International Labour Organization and the Commission on the Status of Women, UN Doc. E/RES/196 (VIII), 18 February 1949
ECOSOC resolution E/RES/2/11 (1946) establishing the Commission on the Status of Women, UN Doc. E/RES/2/11, 21 June 1946
European Court of Human Rights., Opuz v Turkey, 33401/02, 9 June 2009
Finlay, L (2014) Having Iran as its standard-bearer for women’s rights discredits UN. The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/having-iran-as-its-standard-bearer-for-womens-rights-discredits-un-26437. Accessed 13 February 2018
Human Rights Council resolution 15/23 (2010) UN doc. HRC/RES/15/23, 23 October 2010
Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 (2007) on the institution building of the Human Rights Council, UN Doc. A/RES/HRC/5/1, 18 June 2007
Humphrey JP (1983) The memoires of John P. Humphrey: the first director of the United Nations division for human rights. Human Rights Quarterly 5:387–405
Inter-American Court of Human Rights (2009) Gonzàlez et al (‘Cotton Field’) v Mexico, Series c, No 205, 16 November 2009
International Women’s Health Coalition (n.d.) Statement on the political declaration on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, https://iwhc.org/resources/womens-statement-20th-anniversary-fourth-world-conference-women. Accessed 15 February 2018
Jain D (2005) Women, development and the United Nations: a sixty-year quest for equality and justice. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, pp 17–18
OHCHR (2008) CEDAW now in Geneva. Available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Cedaw.aspx. Accessed 15 February 2018
OHCHR/CEDAW (2014) General recommendations, Available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CEDAW/Pages/Recommendations.aspx. Accessed 15 February 2018
OHCHR/CEDAW (2015) Simplified reporting procedure, Available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CEDAW/Pages/ReportingProcedures.aspx. Accessed 15 February 2018
OHCHR/CEDAW (2017) Chairperson’s and other statements. Available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CEDAW/Pages/Statements.aspx. Accessed 15 February 2018
OHCHR/CESCR (2013) Inquiry procedure, Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CESCR/Pages/InquiryProcedure.aspx. Accessed 15 February 2018
Peitilä, H (2007) The unfinished story of women and the United Nations, NGLS Development Dossier, Geneva, UNCTAD/NGLS/2007/1, p 38–39
Puri, L (2017) Report on CSW61 and analysis of the agreed conclusions, UN Women. Available at http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2017/5/report-of-csw61-and-analysis-of-the-agreed-conclusions. Accessed 15 February 2018
Reanda L (1992) The Commission on the Status of Women. In: Alston P (ed) The United Nations and human rights: a critical appraisal. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 265–303
Skard T (2008) Getting our history right: how were the equal rights of women and men included in the charter of the United Nations? Forum for Development (1):37–60
Statute of the Inter-American Commission of Women (2016). Available at http://www.oas.org/en/cim/docs/CIMStatute-2016-EN.pdf. Accessed 28 Feb 2018
Supreme Court of India., Vishaka v The State of Rajasthan (AIR 1977 Supreme Court 3011)
Swaine A, O’Rourke C (2015) Guidebook on CEDAW general recommendation no 30 and the UN security Council’s resolutions on women, peace and security. Women, UN
UN General Assembly resolution 3010 (XXVII) (1972) UN Doc A/RES/3010 (XXVII), 18 December:1972
UN General Assembly resolution 35/136 (1980) UN Doc. A/RES/35/136, 11 December 1980
UN General Assembly resolution 48/134 (1993) Principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles), UN Doc. A/RES/48/134, annex, 20 December 1993
UN General Assembly resolution 50/203 (1995) UN Doc. A/RES/50/203, 22 December 1995
UN General Assembly resolution 55/71 (2001) UN Doc. A/RES/55/71, 8 February 2001
UN General Assembly resolution 60/251 (2006) UN Doc. A/RES/60/251, 3 April 2006
UN Watch (2017) No Joke: UN elects Saudi Arabia to Women’s Rights Commission for 2018–2022 Term. Available at https://www.unwatch.org/no-joke-u-n-elects-saudi-arabia-womens-rights-commission. Accessed 13 January 2018
UN Women (2017) Communications Procedure, Available at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/communications-procedure. Accessed 13 February 2018
United Nations (1948), UN Doc. E/RES/120 (VI), 3 March 1948
United Nations (1950) Report of the Secretary-General to the CSW on the UNESCO study of educational opportunities for women, UN Doc. E/CN.6/146, 9 May 1950
United Nations (1980) Programme of Action for the Second Half of the UN Decade for Women, UN Doc. A/CONF.94/35 (80.IV.3)
United Nations (1983) Report of the special rapporteur on the exploitation and prostitution of others to the ECOSOC, UN Doc. E/1983/7, 17 March 1983
United Nations (1991) Report of the Secretary-General: Monitoring the Implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women: examining existing communications mechanisms of the advancement of women, UN Doc. E/CN.6/1991/10
United Nations (1996) United Nations and advancement of women, UN publications series, vol VI. United Nations Publications, New York
United Nations (1997) Report of the Economic and Social Council, UN Doc. A/52/3, 18 September 1997
United Nations (2001) Report of the Secretary-General assessing the implications of the reforms of the mechanisms in the human rights area (1503 procedure) for communications concerning the status of women, UN Doc. E/CN.6/2001/12, 16 January 2001
United Nations (2002) Report of the Secretary-General assessing the implications of the reforms of mechanisms in the human rights area (1503 procedure) for communications concerning the status of women, UN Doc. E/CN.6/2002/12, 18 January 2002
United Nations (2004) Report of the Secretary-General on future work of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women, UN Doc. E/CN.6/2004/11, 22 December 2003, Add I, 16 January 2004, and Add II, 11 February 2004
United Nations (2009a) Report of the Secretary General, UN Doc. HRI/GEN/2/Rev.6, 3 June 2009
United Nations (2009b) Report of the Secretary-General on future work of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women, UN Doc. E/CN.6/2009/8, 1 December 2008
United Nations (2012) Report of the Chairs of human rights treaty bodies on their 24th meeting, Annex I, UN Doc. A/67/222
United Nations (2013) Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on its 52nd session, UN Doc. A/68/38
United Nations (2015a) Guidelines on Intimidation or Reprisals (San José Guidelines), UN Doc. HRI/MC/2015/6, 30 July 2015
United Nations (2015b) Report of the Chairs of the human rights treaty bodies on their 27th meeting, UN Doc. A/70/302
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (1993), UN Doc. A/CONF.157/23
World Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Women’s Year (1975), UN Doc. E/CONF.66/34 (76.IV.1)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Connors, J. (2018). Gender in the UN: CEDAW and the Commission on the Status of Women. In: Oberleitner, G. (eds) International Human Rights Institutions, Tribunals, and Courts. International Human Rights. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5206-4_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5206-4_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-5205-7
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-5206-4
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences