Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women
Adopted and opened for
signature, ratification and accession by
General Assembly resolution 34/180 of
18 December 1979
entry into force 3
September 1981, in accordance with article
27(1)
The States Parties to the present
Convention,
Noting that the Charter of the United
Nations reaffirms faith in fundamental human
rights, in the dignity and worth of the
human person and in the equal rights of men
and women,
Noting that the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights affirms the principle of the
inadmissibility of discrimination and
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,
Noting that the States Parties to the
International Covenants on Human Rights have
the obligation to ensure the equal rights of
men and women to enjoy all economic, social,
cultural, civil and political rights,
Considering the international
conventions concluded under the auspices of
the United Nations and the specialized
agencies promoting equality of rights of men
and women,
Noting also the resolutions,
declarations and recommendations adopted by
the United Nations and the specialized
agencies promoting equality of rights of men
and women,
Concerned, however, that despite these
various instruments extensive discrimination
against women continues to exist,
Recalling that discrimination against
women violates the principles of equality of
rights and respect for human dignity, is an
obstacle to the participation of women, on
equal terms with men, in the political,
social, economic and cultural life of their
countries, hampers the growth of the
prosperity of society and the family and
makes more difficult the full development of
the potentialities of women in the service
of their countries and of humanity,
Concerned that in situations of
poverty women have the least access to food,
health, education, training and
opportunities for employment and other
needs,
Convinced that the establishment of
the new international economic order based
on equity and justice will contribute
significantly towards the promotion of
equality between men and women,
Emphasizing that the eradication of
apartheid, all forms of racism, racial
discrimination, colonialism,
neo-colonialism, aggression, foreign
occupation and domination and interference
in the internal affairs of States is
essential to the full enjoyment of the
rights of men and women,
Affirming that the strengthening of
international peace and security, the
relaxation of international tension, mutual
co-operation among all States irrespective
of their social and economic systems,
general and complete disarmament, in
particular nuclear disarmament under strict
and effective international control, the
affirmation of the principles of justice,
equality and mutual benefit in relations
among countries and the realization of the
right of peoples under alien and colonial
domination and foreign occupation to
self-determination and independence, as well
as respect for national sovereignty and
territorial integrity, will promote social
progress and development and as a
consequence will contribute to the
attainment of full equality between men and
women,
Convinced that the full and complete
development of a country, the welfare of the
world and the cause of peace require the
maximum participation of women on equal
terms with men in all fields,
Bearing in mind the great contribution
of women to the welfare of the family and to
the development of society, so far not fully
recognized, the social significance of
maternity and the role of both parents in
the family and in the upbringing of
children, and aware that the role of women
in procreation should not be a basis for
discrimination but that the upbringing of
children requires a sharing of
responsibility between men and women and
society as a whole,
Aware that a change in the traditional
role of men as well as the role of women in
society and in the family is needed to
achieve full equality between men and women,
Determined to implement the principles
set forth in the Declaration on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women
and, for that purpose, to adopt the measures
required for the elimination of such
discrimination in all its forms and
manifestations,
Have agreed on the following:
PART I
Article 1
For the purposes of the present
Convention, the term "discrimination against
women" shall mean 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 their
marital status, on a basis of equality of
men and women, of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in the political,
economic, social, cultural, civil or any
other field.
Article 2
States Parties condemn discrimination
against women in all its forms, agree to
pursue by all appropriate means and without
delay a policy of eliminating discrimination
against women and, to this end, undertake:
(a) To embody the principle of the
equality of men and women in their national
constitutions or other appropriate
legislation if not yet incorporated therein
and to ensure, through law and other
appropriate means, the practical realization
of this principle;
(b) To adopt appropriate legislative
and other measures, including sanctions
where appropriate, prohibiting all
discrimination against women; (c) To
establish legal protection of the rights of
women on an equal basis with men and to
ensure through competent national tribunals
and other public institutions the effective
protection of women against any act of
discrimination;
(d) To refrain from engaging in any
act or practice of discrimination against
women and to ensure that public authorities
and institutions shall act in conformity
with this obligation;
(e) To take all appropriate measures
to eliminate discrimination against women by
any person, organization or enterprise;
(f) To take all appropriate measures,
including legislation, to modify or abolish
existing laws, regulations, customs and
practices which constitute discrimination
against women;
(g) To repeal all national penal
provisions which constitute discrimination
against women.
Article 3
States Parties shall take in all
fields, in particular in the political,
social, economic and cultural fields, all
appropriate measures, including legislation,
to en sure the full development and
advancement of women , for the purpose of
guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment
of human rights and fundamental freedoms on
a basis of equality with men.
Article 4
1. Adoption by States Parties of
temporary special measures aimed at
accelerating de facto equality between men
and women shall not be considered
discrimination as defined in the present
Convention, but shall in no way entail as a
consequence the maintenance of unequal or
separate standards; these measures shall be
discontinued when the objectives of equality
of opportunity and treatment have been
achieved.
2. Adoption by States Parties of
special measures, including those measures
contained in the present Convention, aimed
at protecting maternity shall not be
considered discriminatory.
Article 5
States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures:
(a) To modify the social and cultural
patterns of conduct of men and women, with a
view to achieving the elimination of
prejudices and customary and all other
practices which are based on the idea of the
inferiority or the superiority of either of
the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men
and women;
(b) To ensure that family education
includes a proper understanding of maternity
as a social function and the recognition of
the common responsibility of men and women
in the upbringing and development of their
children, it being understood that the
interest of the children is the primordial
consideration in all cases.
Article 6
States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures, including legislation,
to suppress all forms of traffic in women
and exploitation of prostitution of women.
PART II
Article 7
States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to eliminate
discrimination against women in the
political and public life of the country
and, in particular, shall ensure to women,
on equal terms with men, the right:
(a) To vote in all elections and
public referenda and to be eligible for
election to all publicly elected bodies;
(b) To participate in the formulation
of government policy and the implementation
thereof and to hold public office and
perform all public functions at all levels
of government;
(c) To participate in non-governmental
organizations and associations concerned
with the public and political life of the
country.
Article 8
States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to ensure to women, on
equal terms with men and without any
discrimination, the opportunity to represent
their Governments at the international level
and to participate in the work of
international organizations.
Article 9
1. States Parties shall grant women
equal rights with men to acquire, change or
retain their nationality. They shall ensure
in particular that neither marriage to an
alien nor change of nationality by the
husband during marriage shall automatically
change the nationality of the wife, render
her stateless or force upon her the
nationality of the husband. 2. States
Parties shall grant women equal rights with
men with respect to the nationality of their
children.
PART III
Article 10
States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to eliminate
discrimination against women in order to
ensure to them equal rights with men in the
field of education and in particular to
ensure, on a basis of equality of men and
women:
(a) The same conditions for career and
vocational guidance, for access to studies
and for the achievement of diplomas in
educational establishments of all categories
in rural as well as in urban areas; this
equality shall be ensured in pre-school,
general, technical, professional and higher
technical education, as well as in all types
of vocational training;
(b) Access to the same curricula, the
same examinations, teaching staff with
qualifications of the same standard and
school premises and equipment of the same
quality;
(c) The elimination of any stereotyped
concept of the roles of men and women at all
levels and in all forms of education by
encouraging coeducation and other types of
education which will help to achieve this
aim and, in particular, by the revision of
textbooks and school programmes and the
adaptation of teaching methods;
(d ) The same opportunities to benefit
from scholarships and other study grants;
(e) The same opportunities for access
to programmes of continuing education,
including adult and functional literacy
programmes, particulary those aimed at
reducing, at the earliest possible time, any
gap in education existing between men and
women;
(f) The reduction of female student
drop-out rates and the organization of
programmes for girls and women who have left
school prematurely;
(g) The same Opportunities to
participate actively in sports and physical
education;
(h) Access to specific educational
information to help to ensure the health and
well-being of families, including
information and advice on family planning.
Article 11
1. States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to eliminate
discrimination against women in the field of
employment in order to ensure, on a basis of
equality of men and women, the same rights,
in particular:
(a) The right to work as an
inalienable right of all human beings;
(b) The right to the same employment
opportunities, including the application of
the same criteria for selection in matters
of employment;
(c) The right to free choice of
profession and employment, the right to
promotion, job security and all benefits and
conditions of service and the right to
receive vocational training and retraining,
including apprenticeships, advanced
vocational training and recurrent training;
(d) The right to equal remuneration,
including benefits, and to equal treatment
in respect of work of equal value, as well
as equality of treatment in the evaluation
of the quality of work;
(e) The right to social security,
particularly in cases of retirement,
unemployment, sickness, invalidity and old
age and other incapacity to work, as well as
the right to paid leave;
(f) The right to protection of health
and to safety in working conditions,
including the safeguarding of the function
of reproduction.
2. In order to prevent discrimination
against women on the grounds of marriage or
maternity and to ensure their effective
right to work, States Parties shall take
appropriate measures:
(a) To prohibit, subject to the
imposition of sanctions, dismissal on the
grounds of pregnancy or of maternity leave
and discrimination in dismissals on the
basis of marital status;
(b) To introduce maternity leave with
pay or with comparable social benefits
without loss of former employment, seniority
or social allowances;
(c) To encourage the provision of the
necessary supporting social services to
enable parents to combine family obligations
with work responsibilities and participation
in public life, in particular through
promoting the establishment and development
of a network of child-care facilities;
(d) To provide special protection to
women during pregnancy in types of work
proved to be harmful to them.
3. Protective legislation relating to
matters covered in this article shall be
reviewed periodically in the light of
scientific and technological knowledge and
shall be revised, repealed or extended as
necessary.
Article 12
1. States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to eliminate
discrimination against women in the field of
health care in order to ensure, on a basis
of equality of men and women, access to
health care services, including those
related to family planning.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of
paragraph I of this article, States Parties
shall ensure to women appropriate services
in connection with pregnancy, confinement
and the post-natal period, granting free
services where necessary, as well as
adequate nutrition during pregnancy and
lactation.
Article 13
States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to eliminate
discrimination against women in other areas
of economic and social life in order to
ensure, on a basis of equality of men and
women, the same rights, in particular:
(a) The right to family benefits;
(b) The right to bank loans, mortgages
and other forms of financial credit;
(c) The right to participate in
recreational activities, sports and all
aspects of cultural life.
Article 14
1. States Parties shall take into
account the particular problems faced by
rural women and the significant roles which
rural women play in the economic survival of
their families, including their work in the
non-monetized sectors of the economy, and
shall take all appropriate measures to
ensure the application of the provisions of
the present Convention to women in rural
areas.
2. States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to eliminate
discrimination against women in rural areas
in order to ensure, on a basis of equality
of men and women, that they participate in
and benefit from rural development and, in
particular, shall ensure to such women the
right:
(a) To participate in the elaboration
and implementation of development planning
at all levels;
(b) To have access to adequate health
care facilities, including information,
counselling and services in family planning;
(c) To benefit directly from social
security programmes;
(d) To obtain all types of training
and education, formal and non-formal,
including that relating to functional
literacy, as well as, inter alia, the
benefit of all community and extension
services, in order to increase their
technical proficiency;
(e) To organize self-help groups and
co-operatives in order to obtain equal
access to economic opportunities through
employment or self employment;
(f) To participate in all community
activities;
(g) To have access to agricultural
credit and loans, marketing facilities,
appropriate technology and equal treatment
in land and agrarian reform as well as in
land resettlement schemes;
(h) To enjoy adequate living
conditions, particularly in relation to
housing, sanitation, electricity and water
supply, transport and communications.
PART IV
Article 15
1. States Parties shall accord to
women equality with men before the law.
2. States Parties shall accord to
women, in civil matters, a legal capacity
identical to that of men and the same
opportunities to exercise that capacity. In
particular, they shall give women equal
rights to conclude contracts and to
administer property and shall treat them
equally in all stages of procedure in courts
and tribunals.
3. States Parties agree that all
contracts and all other private instruments
of any kind with a legal effect which is
directed at restricting the legal capacity
of women shall be deemed null and void.
4. States Parties shall accord to men
and women the same rights with regard to the
law relating to the movement of persons and
the freedom to choose their residence and
domicile.
Article 16
1. States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to eliminate
discrimination against women in all matters
relating to marriage and family relations
and in particular shall ensure, on a basis
of equality of men and women:
(a) The same right to enter into
marriage;
(b) The same right freely to choose a
spouse and to enter into marriage only with
their free and full consent;
(c) The same rights and
responsibilities during marriage and at its
dissolution;
(d) The same rights and
responsibilities as parents, irrespective of
their marital status, in matters relating to
their children; in all cases the interests
of the children shall be paramount;
(e) The same rights to decide freely
and responsibly on the number and spacing of
their children and to have access to the
information, education and means to enable
them to exercise these rights;
(f) The same rights and
responsibilities with regard to
guardianship, wardship, trusteeship and
adoption of children, or similar
institutions where these concepts exist in
national legislation; in all cases the
interests of the children shall be
paramount;
(g) The same personal rights as
husband and wife, including the right to
choose a family name, a profession and an
occupation;
(h) The same rights for both spouses
in respect of the ownership, acquisition,
management, administration, enjoyment and
disposition of property, whether free of
charge or for a valuable consideration.
2. The betrothal and the marriage of a
child shall have no legal effect, and all
necessary action, including legislation,
shall be taken to specify a minimum age for
marriage and to make the registration of
marriages in an official registry
compulsory.
PART V
Article 17
1. For the purpose of considering the
progress made in the implementation of the
present Convention, there shall be
established a Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter
referred to as the Committee) consisting, at
the time of entry into force of the
Convention, of eighteen and, after
ratification of or accession to the
Convention by the thirty-fifth State Party,
of twenty-three experts of high moral
standing and competence in the field covered
by the Convention. The experts shall be
elected by States Parties from among their
nationals and shall serve in their personal
capacity, consideration being given to
equitable geographical distribution and to
the representation of the different forms of
civilization as well as the principal legal
systems.
2. The members of the Committee shall
be elected by secret ballot from a list of
persons nominated by States Parties. Each
State Party may nominate one person from
among its own nationals.
3. The initial election shall be held
six months after the date of the entry into
force of the present Convention. At least
three months before the date of each
election the Secretary-General of the United
Nations shall address a letter to the States
Parties inviting them to submit their
nominations within two months. The
Secretary-General shall prepare a list in
alphabetical order of all persons thus
nominated, indicating the States Parties
which have nominated them, and shall submit
it to the States Parties.
4. Elections of the members of the
Committee shall be held at a meeting of
States Parties convened by the
Secretary-General at United Nations
Headquarters. At that meeting, for which two
thirds of the States Parties shall
constitute a quorum, the persons elected to
the Committee shall be those nominees who
obtain the largest number of votes and an
absolute majority of the votes of the
representatives of States Parties present
and voting.
5. The members of the Committee shall
be elected for a term of four years.
However, the terms of nine of the members
elected at the first election shall expire
at the end of two years; immediately after
the first election the names of these nine
members shall be chosen by lot by the
Chairman of the Committee.
6. The election of the five additional
members of the Committee shall be held in
accordance with the provisions of paragraphs
2, 3 and 4 of this article, following the
thirty-fifth ratification or accession. The
terms of two of the additional members
elected on this occasion shall expire at the
end of two years, the names of these two
members having been chosen by lot by the
Chairman of the Committee.
7. For the filling of casual
vacancies, the State Party whose expert has
ceased to function as a member of the
Committee shall appoint another expert from
among its nationals, subject to the approval
of the Committee.
8. The members of the Committee shall,
with the approval of the General Assembly,
receive emoluments from United Nations
resources on such terms and conditions as
the Assembly may decide, having regard to
the importance of the Committee's
responsibilities.
9. The Secretary-General of the United
Nations shall provide the necessary staff
and facilities for the effective performance
of the functions of the Committee under the
present Convention.
Article 18
1. States Parties undertake to submit
to the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, for consideration by the Committee,
a report on the legislative, judicial,
administrative or other measures which they
have adopted to give effect to the
provisions of the present Convention and on
the progress made in this respect:
(a) Within one year after the entry
into force for the State concerned;
(b) Thereafter at least every four
years and further whenever the Committee so
requests.
2. Reports may indicate factors and
difficulties affecting the degree of
fulfilment of obligations under the present
Convention.
Article 19
1. The Committee shall adopt its own
rules of procedure. 2. The Committee shall
elect its officers for a term of two years.
Article 20
1. The Committee shall normally meet
for a period of not more than two weeks
annually in order to consider the reports
submitted in accordance with article 18 of
the present Convention.
2. The meetings of the Committee shall
normally be held at United Nations
Headquarters or at any other convenient
place as determined by the Committee.
Article 21
1. The Committee shall, through the
Economic and Social Council, report annually
to the General Assembly of the United
Nations on its activities and may make
suggestions and general recommendations
based on the examination of reports and
information received from the States
Parties. Such suggestions and general
recommendations shall be included in the
report of the Committee together with
comments, if any, from States Parties.
2. The Secretary-General of the United
Nations shall transmit the reports of the
Committee to the Commission on the Status of
Women for its information.
Article 22
The specialized agencies shall be
entitled to be represented at the
consideration of the implementation of such
provisions of the present Convention as fall
within the scope of their activities. The
Committee may invite the specialized
agencies to submit reports on the
implementation of the Convention in areas
falling within the scope of their
activities.
PART VI
Article 23
Nothing in the present Convention
shall affect any provisions that are more
conducive to the achievement of equality
between men and women which may be
contained:
(a) In the legislation of a State
Party; or
(b) In any other international
convention, treaty or agreement in force for
that State.
Article 24
States Parties undertake to adopt all
necessary measures at the national level
aimed at achieving the full realization of
the rights recognized in the present
Convention.
Article 25
1. The present Convention shall be
open for signature by all States.
2. The Secretary-General of the United
Nations is designated as the depositary of
the present Convention.
3. The present Convention is subject
to ratification. Instruments of ratification
shall be deposited with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
4. The present Convention shall be
open to accession by all States. Accession
shall be effected by the deposit of an
instrument of accession with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Article 26
1. A request for the revision of the
present Convention may be made at any time
by any State Party by means of a
notification in writing addressed to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
2. The General Assembly of the United
Nations shall decide upon the steps, if any,
to be taken in respect of such a request.
Article 27
1. The present Convention shall enter
into force on the thirtieth day after the
date of deposit with the Secretary-General
of the United Nations of the twentieth
instrument of ratification or accession.
2. For each State ratifying the
present Convention or acceding to it after
the deposit of the twentieth instrument of
ratification or accession, the Convention
shall enter into force on the thirtieth day
after the date of the deposit of its own
instrument of ratification or accession.
Article 28
1. The Secretary-General of the United
Nations shall receive and circulate to all
States the text of reservations made by
States at the time of ratification or
accession.
2. A reservation incompatible with the
object and purpose of the present Convention
shall not be permitted.
3. Reservations may be withdrawn at
any time by notification to this effect
addressed to the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, who shall then inform all
States thereof. Such notification shall take
effect on the date on which it is received.
Article 29
1. Any dispute between
two or more States Parties
concerning the
interpretation or
application of the present
Convention which is not
settled by negotiation
shall, at the request of one
of them, be submitted to
arbitration. If within six
months from the date of the
request for arbitration the
parties are unable to agree
on the organization of the
arbitration, any one of
those parties may refer the
dispute to the International
Court of Justice by request
in conformity with the
Statute of the Court.
2. Each State Party
may at the time of signature
or ratification of the
present Convention or
accession thereto declare
that it does not consider
itself bound by paragraph I
of this article. The other
States Parties shall not be
bound by that paragraph with
respect to any State Party
which has made such a
reservation.
3. Any State Party
which has made a reservation
in accordance with paragraph
2 of this article may at any
time withdraw that
reservation by notification
to the Secretary-General of
the United Nations.
Article 30
The present
Convention, the Arabic,
Chinese, English, French,
Russian and Spanish texts of
which are equally authentic,
shall be deposited with the
Secretary-General of the
United Nations. IN WITNESS
WHEREOF the undersigned,
duly authorized, have signed
the present Convention.
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Party which has made such a
reservation.
3. Any State Party which has made a
reservation in accordance with paragraph 2
of this article may at any time withdraw
that reservation by notification to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Article 30
The present Convention, the Arabic,
Chinese, English, French, Russian and
Spanish texts of which are equally
authentic, shall be deposited with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations. IN
WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, duly
authorized, have signed the present
Convention.
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