30 years working for rights for women

December 18, 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  A working group of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) has planned a number of activities in 2009 to celebrate this important anniversary and created a special anniversary website.

The website contains:

• Examples of CEDAW’s successful implementation from around the world, which serve to illustrate how national partners and the global community can work together to ensure gender equality is a reality for all women and girls.
• A calendar of regional and country level events being organized by the UN and its partners to celebrate the Convention’s 30th anniversary.
• Information on the global anniversary celebration at UN headquarters in New York on 3rd December, 2009.
• Electronically available publications and resources on CEDAW.
• Background information on the Convention and its Optional Protocol.
• A link to Inter Press Service’s special CEDAW website, which features articles on CEDAW’s implementation and interviews with CEDAW experts from around the world.

The United States has signed, but not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

The 199th General Assembly (1987) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) urged the United States to ratify the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Since then, other assemblies have reaffirmed this call.