Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS
In 1974, the CSW began drafting the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women. This work culminated in the General
Assembly adopting the Convention GA res.34/180 on
18 December 1979. The Convention entered into force
on 3 September 1981. Article 17 provides for the
establishment of a Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination Against Women, consisting of 23
experts of high moral standing and competence in
the fields covered by the Convention, nominated
by their Governments and elected by the States Parties
to serve in their personal capacity. The Committee
is charged with considering progress made in the
implementation of the Convention including considering
reports submitted by States Parties. The Committee
may make suggestions and general recommendations
based on its examination of the reports and information
received from States.
The full text of the Convention can be found at
gopher://gopher.un.org/00/ga/cedaw/convention.
The Convention identifies specific areas where
there has been extensive discrimination against
women, for example, in regard to political, economic,
social, cultural, and civil rights. In these and
other areas, the Convention spells out specific
goals and measures that are to be taken by States
Parties to facilitate the creation of a global society
in which women enjoy full equality in relation to
men and thus full realization of their fundamental
human rights.
Under the Convention, States Parties undertake
to submit to the Secretary-General, for consideration
by the Committee, reports on the legislative, judicial,
administrative, or other measures which they have
adopted to give effect to the provisions of the
Convention and on the progress made in this respect.
As of 12 May 2003, 173 countries - more than two-thirds
of the members of the United Nations - are party
to the Convention. It reports annually to the General
Assembly through ECOSOC. The term of election for
Committee members is four years.
OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COOPERATING ORGANISATIONS
Department of Social Development
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
Department of Education
Department of Health
Office on the Status of Women in the Presidency
Commission on Gender Equality
South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)
RELEVANT TREATIES AND PROTOCOLS, ETC.
Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age
for Marriage and Registration of Marriages (1962)
(RSA ratified: 15 December 1995).
Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1952)
(RSA signed: 29 January 1993).
Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age
for Marriage and Registration of Marriages (1962)
(RSA acceded: 29 January 1993).
Convention on the Nationality of Married Women (1957)
(RSA signed: 29 January 1993).
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (In
the process of ratification).
SADC Declaration for the Prevention and Eradication
of Violence Against Women and Children (RSA signed:
8 September 1997).
Addendum to the 1997 SADC Declaration on Gender
and Development for the Prevention and Eradication
of Violence Against Women and Children (RSA signed:
14 September 1998).
Optional Protocol on trafficking in Persons, especially
Women and Children to the Convention against Transnational
Crime (RSA signed: during signing ceremony of the
Palermo conference, 12-15 December).
GENERAL COMMENTS
South Africa is a State Party to the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW). South Africa signed the Convention
in January 1993 and ratified the Convention on 15
December 1995, without entering any reservations.
The South African Government submitted its initial
report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women, the treaty-monitoring body, on the
steps South Africa had taken to give effect to the
provisions of the Convention, in June 1998.
