Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

New York

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

CEDAW consists of 23 experts on women's rights from around the world. The Committee of experts currently includes a former Soroptimist from Jamaica, Dr. Barbara Evelyn Bailey, an international expert on gender and development studies at the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

CEDAW undertakes three main activities:

1. Through regular reporting from states who have become party to the treaty and 'shadow reports' from NGOs on particular issues of concern, CEDAW reviews how each country has implemented the treaty and will address concerns and make recommendations in their concluding observations. Countries are reviewed every four years.
2. CEDAW is empowered to receive petitions from individuals or groups who feel that their rights under the treaty have been violated. The Committee may initiate inquiries into grave or systematic violations. This falls under an optional protocol, and is only available to individuals or groups living in countries which have accepted the protocol.
3. The Committee forms general recommendations and suggestions to help countries to best fulfil their obligations under the treaty.

Click here to learn More

If you are interested in reading any reports from before 2009, please email SIHQ: hq@soroptimistinternational.org.

---

« Previous agency Next agency »