The espousal of the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women was a significant moment in the antiquity of human rights. Prior to this, there
had been little international recognition of the specific rights of women. The convention
marked a shift in understanding the importance of protecting women’s rights as a separate and
distinct category from the rights of men.
The convention was the result of years of advocacy by women’s rights activists around the
world. The United Nations had established a Commission on the Status of Women in 1946, but
it wasn’t until the 1970s that the issue of discrimination against women gained significant
traction. Activists, including many from the feminist movement, pushed for a convention that
would recognize the unique ways in which women were discriminated against and provide a
framework for addressing it.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the convention in 1979, with the United States
being among the first countries to ratify it. This marked a significant change in the US’s stance
on women’s rights, as it had previously been reluctant to ratify international human rights
treaties. The convention was a powerful tool for women’s rights activists, as it provided a legal
Against Women was a significant moment in the antiquity of human rights. Prior to this, there
had been little international recognition of the specific rights of women. The convention
marked a shift in understanding the importance of protecting women’s rights as a separate and
distinct category from the rights of men.
The convention was the result of years of advocacy by women’s rights activists around the
world. The United Nations had established a Commission on the Status of Women in 1946, but
it wasn’t until the 1970s that the issue of discrimination against women gained significant
traction. Activists, including many from the feminist movement, pushed for a convention that
would recognize the unique ways in which women were discriminated against and provide a
framework for addressing it.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the convention in 1979, with the United States
being among the first countries to ratify it. This marked a significant change in the US’s stance
on women’s rights, as it had previously been reluctant to ratify international human rights
treaties. The convention was a powerful tool for women’s rights activists, as it provided a legal
framework for challenging discrimination and a mechanism for holding governments
accountable for protecting women’s rights.
accountable for protecting women’s rights.