UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is an international human rights treaty that protects the rights of all women. It obliges 189 countries that ratified it to take actions to combat discrimination against women. It was ratified by all countries of the European Union. The European Union has not ratified it.

More information below

What is the CEDAW Committee?

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of the Discrimination Against Women is the expert Committee in charge of monitoring the implementation of CEDAW. It is composed of 23 experts on women’s rights elected by State Parties and serve in their individual capacity. Members serve for two-year terms and are eligible for re-election once. A Chairperson, 3 Vice-Chairpersons and a Rapporteur are appointed among the members of the Committee.

The Committee rarely elects expert women with disabilities and country reports often do not include information on women and girls with disabilities, so they rely on organisations of persons with disabilities and of women with disabilities for information to obtain information relevant to people with disabilities. Ana Peláez Narváez (EDF Vice President) was the first woman from the disability movement elected to the Committee in 2018.

We support EDF members and other organisations of women and girls with disabilities to submit alternative reports to the Committee.

You can learn more about how to engage with the Committee in our Guide for DPOs.

2024 Agenda of review

In 2024, the following European countries are foreseen for review by the CEDAW Committee:

29 Jan – 16 February 2024 – 87^th session: State for review of Italy and Greece
19-23 February 2024 – 89th pre-sessional working group: List of issues prior to reporting on Cyprus
13-31 May 2024 – 88^th session: State for review of Estonia and Montenegro
3-7 June 2024 – 90th pre-sessional working group: List of issues prior to reporting on Malta
30 September – 18 October 2024 – 89th session: State for review of the Netherlands
21-25 October 2024 – 91th pre-sessional working group: List of issues prior to reporting on Austria