Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

The CEDAW treaty for the rights of women, formally known as the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, provides a universal standard for women’s human rights. It addresses discrimination in areas such as education, employment, marriage and family relations, and health care.

To date, 186 countries have ratified the CEDAW treaty. The United States is the only democratic nation that has failed to do so, and as such is in the dishonorable company of countries that have consistently violated women’s human rights, including Iran, Sudan and Somalia.

For more than a century, the Baha'is of the United States have worked to advance the status of women by advocating policies and legislation, including CEDAW, that promote gender equality.

For more information about CEDAW, go to http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ or www.womenstreaty.org.