LECTURE EIGHT: International Instruments and Conventions

Governments around the world have undertaken legal human rights obligations to combat gender
inequalities.

1. The key international agreement on women’s human rights is the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which is also
described as the international bill of women’s rights. Ratified by 185 UN Member States,
CEDAW encompasses a global consensus on the changes that need to take place in order
to realize women’s human rights.

Under CEDAW, states are required to eliminate the many different forms of gender-based
discrimination women confront, by ensuring that all necessary arrangements are put in place that
will allow women to actually experience equality in their lives.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is
clear on the issue of discrimination against women. It defines "discrimination against women" as
any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose
of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their
marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental
freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. International and
regional legal instruments have clarified obligations of States to prevent, eradicate and punish
violence against women and girls.

2. Article 19 of the universal declaration of Human rights (UDHR) guarantees women’s

right to expression. ‘ Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek , receive and
impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”
3. The Millennium Declaration, signed in September 2000 at the United Nations’
Millennium Summit, commits the member countries “to promote gender equality and the
empowerment of women, as effective ways to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to
stimulate development that is truly sustainable.
There are eight goals with 21 targets, and a series of measurable indicators for each target. The
goals aim to stimulate real progress by 2015 in tackling the most pressing issues facing
developing countries – poverty, hunger, inadequate education, gender inequality, child and
maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and environmental degradation.

According to UNDP (2009), achieving the goals will be impossible without closing the gaps
between women and men in terms of capacities, access to resources and opportunities, and
vulnerability to violence and conflicts.

MDG 3 is ‘to promote equality and empower women’. The goal has one target: ‘to eliminate
gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005 and to all levels of
education no later than 2015’

4. Sustainable Development Goal5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and
girls

Targets ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls every where

Targets eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private
spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. Denying women to
enjoy their sexual and reproductive rights leads to other forms of discrimination e.g. depriving
women of education and decent work.

5. The Constitution of Kenya (2010), Article 27 (3) women and men have the right to equal
treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and
social spheres.
6. The Kenyan government has addressed the gender issue in the Sessional No. 5 of 2005.

Conferences/conventions
 First women conference in Mexico City 1975, discrimination of women was still a
problem
Objective included, to monitor and advance the implementation of descent work , descent
life agenda for women and men.
 Second women conference in Copenhagen 1980
 This conference recognized that there was a disparity between women’s guaranteed
rights and their capacity to exercise them
 Equal access to education
 Equal access to employment opportunities
 Equal access to adequate health care
 1985 Third World Conference on Women in Nairobi which sought to overcome
obstacles for achieving equality, and development
 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995
Beijing marked a significant turning point for the global agenda for gender equality.

The Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, adopted unanimously by 189 countries, is

an agenda for women’s empowerment and considered the key global policy document on gender

equality. It sets strategic objectives and actions for the advancement of women and the

achievement of gender equality in 12 critical areas of concern including;

Women and poverty, Education and training of women, Women and health, Violence against

women, Women and armed conflict

Since the Beijing Conference on women, the concept of gender mainstreaming has gained

importance as a strategy of attaining gender equality.

Since the Fourth World Conference, all players are in agreement that gender issues matter. From

then on, widespread commitment has been made by governments, donor agencies, non-

government organizations and other international and national players to identify gender equity

as a priority objective.

For example, each donor agency has a gender strategy paper. Some donors require organizations
receiving funds to have a gender and development (GAD) policy.