Home > Our Work > Policy Initiatives > CEDAW >
Summary of Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Article 1: Defines discrimination against women as any “distinction, exclusion, or restriction made on the basis of sex, which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of marital status, on the basis of equality between men and women, of human rights or fundamental freedom in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil, or any other field.”

Article 2: Mandates concrete steps, implementing laws, policies and practices to eliminate discrimination against women and embody the principle of equality.

Article 3: Requires action in all fields - civil, political, economic, social, and cultural - to advance the human rights of women.

Article 4: Permits affirmative action measures to accelerate equality and eliminate discrimination.

Article 5: Recognizes the role of culture and tradition, and calls for the elimination of sex role stereotyping.

Article 6: Requires suppression of traffic in women and exploitation of prostitutes.

Article 7: Mandates ending discrimination against women in political and public life.

Article 8: Requires action to allow women to represent their governments internationally on an equal basis with men.

Article 9: Mandates that women will have equal rights with men to acquire, change or retain their nationality and that of their children.

Article 10: Obligates equal access to all fields of education and the elimination of stereotyped concepts of the roles of men and women.

Article 11: Mandates the end of discrimination in the field of employment and recognizes the right to work as a human right.

Article 12: Requires steps to eliminate discrimination from the field of health care, including access to family planning. If necessary, these services must be free of charge.

Article 13: Requires that women be ensured equal access to family benefits, bank loans, credit, sports and cultural life.

Article 14: Focuses on the particular problems faced by rural women.

Article 15: Guarantees equality before the law and equal access to administer property.

Article 16: Requires steps to ensure equality in marriage and family relations.

Article 17: Calls for the establishment of a committee to evaluate the progress of the implementation of CEDAW.

Article 18-30: Set forth elements of the operation of the treaty.


Adapted from the CEDAW information packets from the Working Group on CEDAW and UNIFEM.