The United Nations Charter is the first international instrument to mention the equal rights of men and women in specific terms. It proclaims the determination of the peoples of the United Nations "to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women." This principle is elaborated in the Universal Declaration, which proclaims that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights" and that "everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth (therein) without distinction of any kind," including distinction based on sex.
When designing the human rights machinery of the United Nations, a special body to deal with women's issues-the Commission on the Status of Women-was established in 1946 by the Economic and Social Council. The 45-member commission examines women's progress towards equality throughout the world, prepares recommendations on promoting women's rights in political, economic, social and educational fields and addresses problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women's rights. It also drafts treaties and other instruments aimed at improving the status of women in law and in practice.
The activities of the commission have evolved from defining rights to exploring factors that have prevented women from enjoying them. Thus emphasis has shifted to underlying social and cultural causes of discrimination. In 1993, for example, a Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, elaborated by the commission, was adopted by the General Assembly. The declaration includes a clear definition of violence as being physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family or the community and perpetrated or condoned by the state. It identifies measures to address the factors conducive to such violence and to the victimization of women and spells out the rights to be protected as well as the action to be taken by states and international organizations.
Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women
The first concern of the Commission on the Status of Women was to establish a firm base in international law of the norms of equality. The Convention on the Political Rights of Women, adopted by the General Assembly in 1952, was the first United Nations instrument in which states parties undertook legal obligations involving the principle of equal rights between women and men. The Convention on the Nationality of Married Women, adopted by the General Assembly in 1952, was a response to the lack of equal rights between men and women in terms of family law. The Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, adopted in 1962, was intended to ensure by national legislation equal rights for both spouses.
The culmination of the work of the commission in terms of human rights law is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Adopted by the Assembly in 1979, the convention was rapidly ratified and is now the main instrument for women's human rights. The six-part, 30-article convention covers measures to be taken by states to eliminate discrimination against women in many areas, including political and public life, nationality, education, employment, health, marriage and family life. It defines women's rights in the context of the international human rights regime and reflects the evolution from the recognition of women's rights by law to their exercise in practice. As of December 31, 1994, the Convention had 138 states parties.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, made up of 23 experts, is the body established under the convention to monitor its implementation. States parties report periodically to the committee on measures they have taken to give effect to the provisions of the convention.
From Basic Facts About the United Nations. Published by United Nations Department of Public Information. Copyright 1995 United Nations.
