How Could the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) be Implemented in the EU Legal Framework ?

The UN Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women is the principal and most comprehensive international legal instrument to advance the equal recognition, enjoyment and exercise of all human rights of women in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil and domestic fields. Gender equality, non-discrimination and protection of human rights are established as general principles of the EU and in addition all of the EU Member States are Parties to the CEDAW Convention. Some commonalities with the EU law on gender equality can be indentified but also certain differences or weaknesses and strengths of the EU law in comparison to CEDAW. Finally, the challenges for accelerating full implementation of CEDAW within the EU legal and policy are tackled.