Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979, CEDAW established a comprehensive international framework defining discrimination against women and setting an agenda for national action. It entered into force on September 3, 1981, after the twentieth country ratified it. The convention obligates signatory states to eliminate discrimination in political, economic, social, cultural, and civil spheres. A 23-member committee monitors implementation. As of 2024, 189 states have ratified the treaty, though the United States remains a non-ratifier.