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CEDAW - Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979, para. h
- Paragraph text
- The third general thrust of the Convention aims at enlarging our understanding of the concept of human rights, as it gives formal recognition to the influence of culture and tradition on restricting women's enjoyment of their fundamental rights. These forces take shape in stereotypes, customs and norms which give rise to the multitude of legal, political and economic constraints on the advancement of women. Noting this interrelationship, the preamble of the Convention stresses "that a change in the traditional role of men as well as the role of women in society and in the family is needed to achieve full equality of men and women". States parties are therefore obliged to work towards the modification of social and cultural patterns of individual conduct in order to eliminate "prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women" (article 5). And Article 1O.c. mandates the revision of textbooks, school programmes and teaching methods with a view to eliminating stereotyped concepts in the field of education. Finally, cultural patterns which define the public realm as a man's world and the domestic sphere as women's domain are strongly targeted in all of the Convention's provisions that affirm the equal responsibilities of both sexes in family life and their equal rights with regard to education and employment. Altogether, the Convention provides a comprehensive framework for challenging the various forces that have created and sustained discrimination based upon sex.
- Legal status
- Legally binding
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- International treaty
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 1979
Paragraph
European Social Charter (Revised) 1996, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- The Parties accept as the aim of their policy, to be pursued by all appropriate means both national and international in character, the attainment of conditions in which the following rights and principles may be effectively realised: 4. All workers have the right to a fair remuneration sufficient for a decent standard of living for themselves and their families.
- Legal status
- Legally binding
- Body
- Council of Europe
- Document type
- Regional treaty
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 1996
Paragraph
European Social Charter (Revised) 1996, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- The Parties accept as the aim of their policy, to be pursued by all appropriate means both national and international in character, the attainment of conditions in which the following rights and principles may be effectively realised: 27. All persons with family responsibilities and who are engaged or wish to engage in employment have a right to do so without being subject to discrimination and as far as possible without conflict between their employment and family responsibilities.
- Legal status
- Legally binding
- Body
- Council of Europe
- Document type
- Regional treaty
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 1996
Paragraph
CEDAW - Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979, para. g
- Paragraph text
- Aside from civil rights issues, the Convention also devotes major attention to a most vital concern of women, namely their reproductive rights. The preamble sets the tone by stating that "the role of women in procreation should not be a basis for discrimination". The link between discrimination and women's reproductive role is a matter of recurrent concern in the Convention. For example, it advocates, in article 5, ''a proper understanding of maternity as a social function", demanding fully shared responsibility for child-rearing by both sexes. Accordingly, provisions for maternity protection and child-care are proclaimed as essential rights and are incorporated into all areas of the Convention, whether dealing with employment, family law, health core or education. Society's obligation extends to offering social services, especially child-care facilities, that allow individuals to combine family responsibilities with work and participation in public life. Special measures for maternity protection are recommended and "shall not be considered discriminatory". (article 4). "The Convention also affirms women's right to reproductive choice. Notably, it is the only human rights treaty to mention family planning. States parties are obliged to include advice on family planning in the education process (article l O.h) and to develop family codes that guarantee women's rights "to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to hove access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise these rights" (article 16.e).
- Legal status
- Legally binding
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- International treaty
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 1979
Paragraph
European Social Charter (Revised) 1996, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The Parties accept as the aim of their policy, to be pursued by all appropriate means both national and international in character, the attainment of conditions in which the following rights and principles may be effectively realised: 19. Migrant workers who are nationals of a Party and their families have the right to protection and assistance in the territory of any other Party.
- Legal status
- Legally binding
- Body
- Council of Europe
- Document type
- Regional treaty
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 1996
Paragraph
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention 1958, para. 5. (2)
- Paragraph text
- Any Member may, after consultation with representative employers' and workers' organisations, where such exist, determine that other special measures designed to meet the particular requirements of persons who, for reasons such as sex, age, disablement, family responsibilities or social or cultural status, are generally recognised to require special protection or assistance, shall not be deemed to be discrimination.
- Legal status
- Legally binding
- Body
- International Labour Organization
- Document type
- International treaty
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 1958
Paragraph
Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: Intensifying our Efforts to Eliminate HIV and AIDS 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Reaffirm that the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all is an essential element in the global response to the HIV epidemic, including in the areas of prevention, treatment, care and support, recognize that addressing stigma and discrimination against people living with, presumed to be living with or affected by HIV, including their families, is also a critical element in combating the global HIV epidemic, and recognize also the need, as appropriate, to strengthen national policies and legislation to address such stigma and discrimination;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS 2001, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- By 2003, evaluate the economic and social impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and develop multisectoral strategies to address the impact at the individual, family, community and national levels; develop and accelerate the implementation of national poverty eradication strategies to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on household income, livelihoods and access to basic social services, with special focus on individuals, families and communities severely affected by the epidemic; review the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS at all levels of society, especially on women and the elderly, particularly in their role as caregivers, and in families affected by HIV/AIDS, and address their special needs; and adjust and adapt economic and social development policies, including social protection policies, to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on economic growth, provision of essential economic services, labour productivity, government revenues, and deficit-creating pressures on public resources;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2001
Paragraph
Further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 2000, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Women play a critical role in the family. The family is the basic unit of society and is a strong force for social cohesion and integration and, as such, should be strengthened. The inadequate support to women and insufficient protection and support to their respective families affect society as a whole and undermine efforts to achieve gender equality. In different cultural, political and social systems, various forms of the family exist and the rights, capabilities and responsibilities of family members must be respected. Women's social and economic contributions to the welfare of the family and the social significance of maternity and paternity continue to be inadequately addressed. Motherhood and fatherhood and the role of parents and legal guardians in the family and in the upbringing of children and the importance of all family members to the family's well-being are also acknowledged and must not be a basis for discrimination. Women also continue to bear a disproportionate share of the household responsibilities and the care of children, the sick and the elderly. Such imbalance needs to be consistently addressed through appropriate policies and programmes, in particular those geared towards education, and through legislation where appropriate. In order to achieve full partnership, both in public and in private spheres, both women and men must be enabled to reconcile and share equally work responsibilities and family responsibilities.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2000
Paragraph
Further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 2000, para. 82a
- Paragraph text
- Promote and protect the rights of women workers and take action to remove structural and legal barriers as well as stereotypical attitudes to gender equality at work, addressing, inter alia, gender bias in recruitment; working conditions; occupational segregation and harassment; discrimination in social protection benefits; women's occupational health and safety; unequal career opportunities and inadequate sharing, by men, of family responsibilities;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2000
Paragraph
Further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 2000, para. 82c
- Paragraph text
- Develop or strengthen policies and programmes to support the multiple roles of women in contributing to the welfare of the family in its various forms, which acknowledge the social significance of maternity and motherhood, parenting, the role of parents and legal guardians in the upbringing of children and caring for other family members. Such policies and programmes should also promote shared responsibility of parents, women and men and society as a whole in this regard;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2000
Paragraph
Child and dependant care, including sharing of work and family responsibilities 1996, para. 12b
- Paragraph text
- [Action is needed to:] (b) Promote laws on maternity leave;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Commission on the Status of Women
- Document type
- CSW Agreed Conclusions / Declaration
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 1996
Paragraph
Education and training of women 1997, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Consciousness should be raised about the need for a new allocation of responsibilities within the family, in order to alleviate the extra burden on women.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Commission on the Status of Women
- Document type
- CSW Agreed Conclusions / Declaration
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 1997
Paragraph
Gender and all forms of discrimination, in particular racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance 2001, para. 3d
- Paragraph text
- [Actions to be taken by Governments, the United Nations and civil society, as appropriate]: Ensure that education and training, especially teacher training, promote respect for human rights, the culture of peace, gender equality and cultural, religious and other diversity, and encourage educational and training institutions and organizations to adopt policies of equal opportunities and follow up their implementation with the participation of teachers, parents, boys and girls and the community;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Commission on the Status of Women
- Document type
- CSW Agreed Conclusions / Declaration
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2001
Paragraph
Elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child 2007, para. 14.3.d
- Paragraph text
- [The Commission [...] urges Governments [...] to:] [14.3. Gender stereotypes] (d) Promote non-discriminatory treatment of girls and boys in the family and, in this regard, adopt measures to ensure equal access by girls and boys to food, education and health, and develop programmes and policies addressed to family members, especially parents and other legal guardians, to protect and promote the health and well-being of girls, as well as to ensure that the value of girls to their families and societies is recognized, including with a view to eliminating son preference;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Commission on the Status of Women
- Document type
- CSW Agreed Conclusions / Declaration
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2007
Paragraph
Elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child 2007, para. 14.2.j
- Paragraph text
- [The Commission [...] urges Governments [...] to:] [14.2. Education and training] (j) Ensure that young women and men have access to information and education, including peer education, youth-specific HIV education and sexual education and services necessary for behavioural change, to develop the life skills required to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection and reproductive ill health, in full partnership with young persons, parents, families, educators and health-care providers;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Commission on the Status of Women
- Document type
- CSW Agreed Conclusions / Declaration
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Men
- Youth
- Year
- 2007
Paragraph
Women's empowerment and the link to sustainable development 2016, para. 23x
- Paragraph text
- [The Commission [...] urges Governments, at all levels [...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening normative, legal and policy frameworks]: Recognize the family as a contributor to development, including in the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals for women and girls, that gender equality and women's empowerment improve the well-being of the family, and in this regard stress the need for elaborating and implementing family policies aimed at achieving gender equality and women's empowerment and at enhancing the full participation of women in society;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Commission on the Status of Women
- Document type
- CSW Agreed Conclusions / Declaration
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995, para. 83b
- Paragraph text
- [By Governments, educational authorities and other educational and academic institutions:] Develop training programmes and materials for teachers and educators that raise awareness about the status, role and contribution of women and men in the family, as defined in paragraph 29 above, and society; in this context, promote equality, cooperation, mutual respect and shared responsibilities between girls and boys from pre-school level onward and develop, in particular, educational modules to ensure that boys have the skills necessary to take care of their own domestic needs and to share responsibility for their household and for the care of dependants;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Fourth World Conference on Women
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 1995
Paragraph
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995, para. 113a
- Paragraph text
- [The term "violence against women" means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. Accordingly, violence against women encompasses but is not limited to the following:] Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Fourth World Conference on Women
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 1995
Paragraph
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995, para. 185
- Paragraph text
- Inequality in the public arena can often start with discriminatory attitudes and practices and unequal power relations between women and men within the family, as defined in paragraph 29 above. The unequal division of labour and responsibilities within households based on unequal power relations also limits women's potential to find the time and develop the skills required for participation in decision-making in wider public forums. A more equal sharing of those responsibilities between women and men not only provides a better quality of life for women and their daughters but also enhances their opportunities to shape and design public policy, practice and expenditure so that their interests may be recognized and addressed. Non-formal networks and patterns of decision-making at the local community level that reflect a dominant male ethos restrict women's ability to participate equally in political, economic and social life.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Fourth World Conference on Women
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 1995
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 7.8
- Paragraph text
- Innovative programmes must be developed to make information, counselling and services for reproductive health accessible to adolescents and adult men. Such programmes must both educate and enable men to share more equally in family planning and in domestic and child-rearing responsibilities and to accept the major responsibility for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Programmes must reach men in their workplaces, at home and where they gather for recreation. Boys and adolescents, with the support and guidance of their parents, and in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, should also be reached through schools, youth organizations and wherever they congregate. Voluntary and appropriate male methods for contraception, as well as for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, should be promoted and made accessible with adequate information and counselling.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Boys
- Children
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 4.26
- Paragraph text
- The equal participation of women and men in all areas of family and household responsibilities, including family planning, child-rearing and housework, should be promoted and encouraged by Governments. This should be pursued by means of information, education, communication, employment legislation and by fostering an economically enabling environment, such as family leave for men and women so that they may have more choice regarding the balance of their domestic and public responsibilities.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 7.13
- Paragraph text
- Over the past three decades, the increasing availability of safer methods of modern contraception, although still in some respects inadequate, has permitted greater opportunities for individual choice and responsible decision-making in matters of reproduction throughout much of the world. Currently, about 55 per cent of couples in developing regions use some method of family planning. This figure represents nearly a fivefold increase since the 1960s. Family-planning programmes have contributed considerably to the decline in average fertility rates for developing countries, from about six to seven children per woman in the 1960s to about three to four children at present. However, the full range of modern family-planning methods still remains unavailable to at least 350 million couples world wide, many of whom say they want to space or prevent another pregnancy. Survey data suggest that approximately 120 million additional women world wide would be currently using a modern family-planning method if more accurate information and affordable services were easily available, and if partners, extended families and the community were more supportive. These numbers do not include the substantial and growing numbers of sexually active unmarried individuals wanting and in need of information and services. During the decade of the 1990s, the number of couples of reproductive age will grow by about 18 million per annum. To meet their needs and close the existing large gaps in services, family planning and contraceptive supplies will need to expand very rapidly over the next several years. The quality of family-planning programmes is often directly related to the level and continuity of contraceptive use and to the growth in demand for services. Family-planning programmes work best when they are part of or linked to broader reproductive health programmes that address closely related health needs and when women are fully involved in the design, provision, management and evaluation of services.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 5.9
- Paragraph text
- Governments should formulate family-sensitive policies in the field of housing, work, health, social security and education in order to create an environment supportive of the family, taking into account its various forms and functions, and should support educational programmes concerning parental roles, parental skills and child development. Governments should, in conjunction with other relevant parties, develop the capacity to monitor the impact of social and economic decisions and actions on the well-being of families, on the status of women within families, and on the ability of families to meet the basic needs of their members.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 5.12
- Paragraph text
- Governments and the international community should give greater attention to, and manifest greater solidarity with, poor families and families that have been victimized by war, drought, famine, natural disasters and racial and ethnic discrimination or violence. Every effort should be made to keep their members together, to reunite them in case of separation and to ensure access to government programmes designed to support and assist those vulnerable families.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 7.23a
- Paragraph text
- [In the coming years, all family-planning programmes must make significant efforts to improve quality of care. Among other measures, programmes should:] Recognize that appropriate methods for couples and individuals vary according to their age, parity, family-size preference and other factors, and ensure that women and men have information and access to the widest possible range of safe and effective family-planning methods in order to enable them to exercise free and informed choice;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 11.3
- Paragraph text
- The relationship between education and demographic and social changes is one of interdependence. There is a close and complex relationship among education, marriage age, fertility, mortality, mobility and activity. The increase in the education of women and girls contributes to greater empowerment of women, to a postponement of the age of marriage and to a reduction in the size of families. When mothers are better educated, their children's survival rate tends to increase. Broader access to education is also a factor in internal migration and the composition of the working population.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 5.11
- Paragraph text
- Governments should support and develop the appropriate mechanisms to assist families caring for children, the dependent elderly and family members with disabilities, including those resulting from HIV/AIDS, encourage the sharing of those responsibilities by men and women, and support the viability of multigenerational families.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Men
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 1994, para. 8.26
- Paragraph text
- Programmes to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality should include information and reproductive health services, including family-planning services. In order to reduce high-risk pregnancies, maternal health and safe motherhood programmes should include counselling and family-planning information.
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 1994
Paragraph
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995, para. 274c
- Paragraph text
- [By Governments:] Take steps to ensure that children receive appropriate financial support from their parents, by, among other measures, enforcing child- support laws;
- Legal status
- Negotiated soft law
- Body
- Fourth World Conference on Women
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 1995
Paragraph