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Background Information

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was opened for signature by the General Assembly of the United Nations on March 1, 1980. It entered into force on September 3, 1981. As of June 3, 2005, 180 countries had ratified the CEDAW. Canada signed the CEDAW on July 17, 1980, and ratified it on December 10, 1981.

The Convention provides the basis for realizing equality between women and men through ensuring women's equal access to, and equal opportunities in, political and public life, as well as education, health and employment. States parties agree to take all appropriate measures, including legislation and temporary special measures, so that women can enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

This Convention stipulates that States Parties submit reports every four years to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, an international body charged with reviewing the measures taken by signatory States to honour their obligations under the Convention. Canada has submitted five reports, in 1983, 1988, 1992, 1995, and 2002. In addition, Canada submitted an advance report with updated information on the occasion of the review of the Fifth Report by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on January 23, 2003. Canada intends to submit its next report in January 2007.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on October 6, 1999 (resolution A/RES/54/4). It entered into force on December 22, 2000. As of June 3, 2005, it had been ratified by 70 countries. Canada acceded to the Optional Protocol on October 18, 2002.

The Optional Protocol is a human rights treaty that creates two new procedures to enhance compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The first is a "communications procedure" that allows individuals or groups of individuals to petition the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women about alleged violations of CEDAW by their country (but only after exhaustion of domestic remedies). The second procedure allows the UN Committee to make an inquiry where it receives reliable information that grave or systematic violations of CEDAW are occurring in a country that is a party to the Optional Protocol.

More information on the Optional Protocol is available on the Status of Women Canada Web site. Additional information on international complaints mechanisms available to individuals in Canada can be found here. Links to the Committee's decisions on communications involving Canada are available on this Web site.