CEDAW - the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women - is a powerful international human rights instrument that reflects a global determination to achieve gender equality. This book looks at the cultural and legal challenges relating to the implementation of CEDAW, and the individual approaches adopted.

Abbreviations and acronyms Part I. Background 1. Introduction by Meena Shivdas and Sarah Coleman 2. Thoughts on the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by Christine Chinkin 3. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and realisation of rights: reflections on standard settings and culture by Indira Jaising Part II. Towards Gender Equality: Reconciling Culture and the Law 4. Culture, religion and gender: an overview by Frances Raday 5. Domestication of CEDAW: points to consider for customary laws and practices by CC Nweze 6. Gender, culture and the law: the South African experience by Mokgadi Lucy Mailula 7. Scope of regional instruments: a perspective on the Southern and East Africa region by Gladys M Nhekairo Mutukwa 8. Last but not least: CEDAW and family law by Cassandra Balchin 9. Gender analysis of child support in the Caribbean: legal, socioeconomic and cultural issues for consideration by Roberta Clarke, Tracey Robinson and Jacqueline Sealy-Burke 10. Women’s dignity and rights: situating Pacific experiences by Mere Pulea Part III. From Aspirations to Entitlements 11. Promoting the human rights of women and girls through developing human rights jurisprudence and advancing the domestication of international human rights standards 12. Realising universal rights in national jurisdictions Part IV. Afterword 13. CEDAW and the Committee: personal reflections by Savitri Goonesekera 14. CEDAW: reflections on the framework in the context of culture by Farida Shaheed 15. Reflections on CEDAW by Radhika Coomaraswamy 16. Endnote by Meena Shivdas and Sarah Coleman