The First CEDAW Impact Study, an in-depth analysis of the impact of countries’ ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was designed as a pilot study in ten countries that are United Nations members states. Its aim was to gather qualitative and quantitative data from grassroots women and groups in order to develop better measurements of the implementation of human rights guarantees from the perspective of women’s rights activists.

The study was published by the Centre for Feminist Research and the International Women’s Rights Project, with the guidance of the United National Division for the Advancement of Women, UNIFEM, and expert members of an International Advisory Committee. While the study was conducted 8 years ago, most of the information is still quite relevant to the Canadian context.

Excerpt

Overview of Canada 1999

While Canada has not adopted CEDAW into any national legislation, Canada’s legislative commitment to women’s equality is found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Convention has been used in argument in court cases at various levels, but arguably the most significant use of the CEDAW has been in activist strategies. While Canadian NGO’s have not yet submitted a fully detailed Shadow Report (note from FAFIA: since the publication of this report, a comprehensive Shadow Report was submitted by FAFIA to the UN in 2003), the concluding comments from the CEDAW Committee with regard to the last State report (note: referring to Canada’s fourth report submitted in 1995) have been used by women’s groups to focus attention on the increasing inequality of women in Canada. The most critical use of the concluding comment has been in the Canadian NGO presentations to the International Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Geneva in November 1998, when Canada’s Third Report on the implementation of the International Covenant was being considered. This raises the critical point of using CEDAW to interpret other international conventions with regard to the equality rights of women. Much more work needs to be developed on the human rights literacy of women’s domestic and national NGO’s. Increased use and awareness of CEDAW flowed from the empowerment of women’s NGO’s, the UN world conferences on women and their follow-up, the changing international conditions, and the more stable social and political conditions domestically. Important actions are being carried out within the framework of the National Plan of Action 1996–2001, supported by Equality Opportunity Promotion Program (funded by the European Union and the Panamanian government), the National Council of Women and its secretariat, the National Directorate of Women, to monitor the nationwide implementation of CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, the evaluation of women’s human rights, the status of rural women, and other governmental mechanisms for women.

To read Canada’s study, click here:
Canada’s Study

To read the entire study, please visit:
CEDAW Impact Study