A/HRC/29/40
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
2 April 2015
English
Original: French
Human Rights Council
Twenty-ninth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights,
civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Report of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination
against women in law and in practice
Summary
In this report, the Working Group examines discrimination against women and girls
in cultural and family life. The cultural construction of gender determines the role of
women and girls within the family, including in marriage. After analysing the impact of
culture and religion on the enjoyment of equal rights by women and girls in society and the
family, the Working Group redefines family by incorporating a gender perspective. In
reaffirming equality between the sexes and family diversity, it is necessary to apply the
principle of women’s right to equality in all forms of family law, in secular family law
systems, State-enforced religious family law systems and plural systems. After recalling the
obligation of States to combat discrimination against women in cultural and family life, the
Working Group makes several recommendations, drawing on good practices, for the
establishment of true equality between the sexes in cultural and family life.
GE.15-07003 (E)
060515 080615