The United Nations Charter was the first global treaty which called for equality between women and men. This commitment marked the beginning of an historic change in political discourse. Issues once thought of as strictly private, domestic matters steeped in custom and tradition, have come to be openly debated at the global level in the quest for the full enjoyment by women of their human rights.
During its early years from 1945 to 1962, the United Nations focused on the codification in international law of women's rights and the collection of data documenting the subordination of women in various parts of the world. Such endeavours were a vital first step in the central UN goal of setting international standards to support women's rights and securing the legal foundations of equality between the sexes.
From 1963 to 1975, United Nations work for women centred on recognizing women's role in, and contribution to, economic and social development. Despite progress made in codifying women's rights into law and improvements in women's access, for example to education, it became clear that efforts were needed to ensure that women could actually exercise their rights and participate on an equal footing with men in all aspects of life. The Organization, therefore, began to concentrate on enhancing the role of women in development as beneficiaries and agents of change.
From 1976 to 1985, the United Nations Decade for Women served to promote and legitimize the international women's movement. A new consensus emerged that development was not possible without the full and equal participation of women. It also became widely accepted that women's equality and rights, far from being isolated issues, were fundamental to the well-being of everyone. In 1979, the General Assembly adopted the historic Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the central treaty relating to women's equality with men. The treaty entered into force in 1981.
Since 1985, the Organization has concentrated on securing equality, development and peace for women and all members of society. A series of global conferences and summit meetings sponsored by the UN since 1990 has helped to forge a consensus on actions to be taken in support of the advancement of women as part of comprehensive international goals. One result of the 1993 UN Human Rights Conference in Vienna was the declaration that women's rights are human rights and the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, who reports to the UN Commission on Human Rights.
Over the years, four United Nations global women's conferences have strengthened the international women's movement: Mexico City (1975), Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995).
In this regard, the Platform for Action, adopted by 189 delegations at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, constitutes a comprehensive action plan for economic and political empowerment of women which, if implemented, would go a long way towards achieving the UN objective of full equality for women.
While the UN system as a whole is concerned with the advancement of women, the primary responsibility for defending women's rights rests with:
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW): Created in 1946 as a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council, the Commission first met in 1947. The Commission, an intergovernmental body, has 45 members each elected for four years. It formulates guidelines on actions to improve women's status in the economic, political and social fields. It is currently the central monitoring body of implementation of the Platform for Action adopted at the Beijing Women's Conference in 1995.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): Convened for the first time in 1982, CEDAW is the treaty monitoring body for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It examines compliance with the Convention's provisions by States parties (currently 156). The Committee is composed of 23 independent experts.
The Interagency Committee on Women and Gender Equality: This Committee was established after the Beijing Conference to promote women's equality and to stimulate mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the work of the United Nations system as a whole. It is composed of representatives of United Nations specialized agencies, funds, programmes and departments.
The Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Division for the Advancement of Women: A Special Advisor on Gender issues was appointed after the Fourth World Conference on Women to advise the Secretary General on gender issues. Currently the Special Adviser also acts as Director of the UN Division for the Advancement of Women. The Division carries out substantive research on gender issues and provides support to the Commission on the Status of Women and CEDAW. It also helps promote mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the work of the UN system and works closely with NGOs.
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM): Established in 1976 as the Voluntary Fund for the UN Decade for Women, the Fund became UNIFEM in 1985, an autonomous body in association with the United Nations Development Programme. It provides direct support to women's development and empowerment projects around the world.
The International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW): The Institute began operations in 1980. Based in the Dominican Republic, the Institute undertakes research, training and information activities to identify and remove barriers that impede women's equality in the process of social, economic and political development.
Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information -- DPI/1890--February 1997