FIDH celebrates 35th anniversary of CEDAW Convention

To mark the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the international Convention on the Elimination of all forms of DiscriminationAagainst Women (CEDAW), on 18 December 2014, FIDH launches a series of original and creative tools designed by students at the Paris School of Decorative Art. Today, this universal instrument, which has already contributed to enormous gains for women’s rights across the world, remains as relevant as ever.

“In this particularly critical period for women’s rights, FIDH reaffirms its unwavering commitment to combating sexism and misogyny. In many States there are real dangers of regression for women’s rights. Many struggles remain to be won and the promotion and dissemination of CEDAW has never been more crucial”, declared Karim Lahidji, FIDH President.

The CEDAW Convention is the universal reference for the protection of women’s rights. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979 and has been ratified bythe vast majority of States around the world. On the basis of its provisions, women’s rights defenders have obtained huge advances at the national level: abolition of discriminatory laws, increased representation of women in political bodies, adoption of a minimum legal age for marriage, access to contraception, prohibition of female genital mutilation…

To celebrate CEDAW’s 35th anniversary, FIDH is launching posters, an illustrated text of the Convention and postcards.

“We are pleased to share these tools with all those women and men around the world who struggle against discrimination and for gender equality. FIDH will continue to work tirelessly, alongside national NGOs, for the ratification without reservations of CEDAW - and its Protocol - and for its full implementation in law and practice”, concluded Khadija Cherif, Coordinator of the FIDH Action Group on Women’s Rights.