Editing Women's rights (section)

== Human rights ==

=== United Nations convention ===
{{Main|Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women}}
[[File:CEDAW Participation.svg|right|upright=1.8|thumb|Participation in the CEDAW {{Col-begin}}{{Col-2}}{{legend|#00aa00|Signed and ratified}}{{legend|#008000|Acceded or succeeded}}{{legend|#008080|Unrecognized state, abiding by treaty}}{{Col-2}}{{legend|#eeee00|Only signed}}{{legend|#ff1111|Non-signatory}}{{Col-end}}]]

The [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]], adopted in 1948, enshrines "the equal rights of men and women", and addressed both equality and equity issues.<ref name=Human>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html|title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights|access-date=17 May 2015}}</ref>
In 1979, the [[United Nations General Assembly]] adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for legal implementation of the [[Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women]]. Described as an international [[bill of rights]] for [[woman|women]], it came into force on 3 September 1981. The UN member states that have not ratified the convention are Iran, Palau, Somalia, Sudan, Tonga, and the United States. [[Niue]] and the Vatican City, which are non-member states, have also not ratified it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-8&chapter=4&lang=en|title=UNTC|publisher=United Nations|access-date=8 October 2015|archive-date=6 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906035454/https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-8&chapter=4&lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref> The latest state to become a party to the convention is South Sudan, on 30 April 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-8&chapter=4&lang=en |title=UNTC |publisher=United Nations |access-date=18 July 2016 |archive-date=6 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906035454/https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-8&chapter=4&lang=en |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Convention defines discrimination against women in the following terms:
<blockquote>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.</blockquote>

It also establishes an agenda of action for putting an end to sex-based discrimination for which states ratifying the convention are required to enshrine [[gender equality]] into their domestic legislation, repeal all discriminatory provisions in their laws, and enact new provisions to guard against discrimination against women. They must also establish tribunals and public institutions to guarantee women effective protection against discrimination, and take steps to eliminate all forms of discrimination practiced against women by individuals, organizations, and enterprises.<ref>[[Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women]], Article 2 (e).</ref>

=== Marriage, divorce, and family law ===

Article 16 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] enshrines the right of consenting men and women to marry and found a family.<ref name=Human />

<blockquote>(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mensuck.com/40-basic-rights-women-did-not-have-until-the-1970s/|title=40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s|date=10 October 2019|access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref><br />
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.<br />
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.</blockquote>

Article 16 of CEDAW stipulates that, "1. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in all matters relating to marriage and family relations".<ref name="un.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm#article16|title=CEDAW 29th Session 30 June to 25 July 2003|publisher=United Nations|access-date=8 October 2015}}</ref> Among the rights included are a woman's right to freely and consensually choose her spouse; to have parental rights to her children irrespective of her marital status; the right of a married woman to choose a profession or an occupation, and to have property rights within marriage. In addition to these, "The betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have no legal effect".<ref name="un.org"/>

[[Polygamous marriage]] is a controversial practice, prevalent in some parts of the world. The general recommendations made by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, state in ''General Recommendation No. 21, Equality in marriage and family relations'': "Polygamous marriage contravenes a woman's right to equality with men, and can have such serious emotional and financial consequences for her and her dependents that such marriages ought to be discouraged and prohibited."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/recommendations/recomm.htm|title=General recommendations made by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women|publisher=United Nations|access-date=8 October 2015}}</ref>

[[Cohabitation]] of unmarried couples as well as [[single mother]]s are common in some parts the world. The [[Human Rights Committee]] has stated:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/gencomm/hrcom28.htm|title=University of Minnesota Human Rights Library|work=umn.edu|access-date=8 October 2015}}</ref>

<blockquote>27. In giving effect to recognition of the family in the context of article 23, it is important to accept the concept of the various forms of family, including unmarried couples and their children and single parents and their children and to ensure the equal treatment of women in these contexts (General Comment 19 paragraph 2 last sentence). Single parent families frequently consist of a single woman caring for one or more children, and States parties should describe what measures of support are in place to enable her to discharge her parental functions on the basis of equality with a man in a similar position.</blockquote>

=== Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action ===
{{Main|Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action}}
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) is a human rights declaration adopted by consensus at the [[World Conference on Human Rights]] on 25 June 1993 in [[Vienna]], Austria. This declaration recognizes women's rights as being protected human rights. Paragraph 18 reads:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/Vienna.aspx |title=Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action |publisher=Ohchr.org |access-date=18 July 2016}}</ref>

<blockquote>The human rights of women and of the girl-child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. The full and equal participation of women in political, civil, economic, social and cultural life, at the national, regional and international levels, and the eradication of all forms of discrimination on grounds of sex are priority objectives of the international community.</blockquote>

=== United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 ===
{{Main|United Nations Security Council Resolution}}
On 31 October 2000, the [[United Nations Security Council]] unanimously adopted [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325]], the first formal and legal document from the United Nations Security Council that requires all states to fully respect [[international humanitarian law]] and [[international human rights law]] applicable to the rights and protection of women and girls during and after the [[armed conflicts]].

=== Regional conventions ===

[[File:Regional women's rights conventions participation map.svg|thumb|300px|[[Belém do Pará Convention]], [[Maputo Protocol]] and [[Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence|Istanbul Convention]] participation combined.
{{legend|#00AA00|Signed and ratified}}
{{legend|#008000|Acceded or succeeded}}
{{legend|#EEEE00|Only signed}}
{{legend|#FF1111|Not signed}}
{{legend|#C0C0C0|Not a member state of the AU, CoE or OAS<ref>Denmark has signed and ratified the Istanbul Convention, but it does not apply to Greenland and the Faroe Islands.</ref>}}]]
{{Main|Belém do Pará Convention|Maputo Protocol|Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence}}
The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, better known as the [[Belém do Pará Convention]], was adopted by the [[Organization of American States]] on 9 June 1994. As of March 2020, 32 of the 34 or 35 [[member states of the Organization of American States]] have either signed and ratified or acceded to the Belém do Pará Convention; only [[Canada]], [[Cuba]] and the [[United States]] have not.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oas.org/en/mesecvi/docs/Signatories-Table-EN.pdf |title=Status of signatures and ratifications (Convention of Belém do Pará) |work=CIM website |publisher=Organization of American States |access-date=14 March 2020}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|The [[Member states of the Organization of American States|OAS membership]] status of Cuba is currently unclear, see [[Cuba–OAS relations]]. This leads some sources to count Cuba as one of the 35 OAS member states, while other sources assert that there are only 34 OAS member states. Either way, and although non-OAS states are allowed to accede to the treaty, Cuba has neither signed nor ratified nor acceded to the Belém do Pará Convention.|group="note"}}

The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the [[Maputo Protocol]], was adopted by the [[African Union]] on 11 July 2003 at its second summit in [[Maputo]],<ref>[http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0307/S00279.htm African Union: Rights of Women Protocol Adopted] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628210229/http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0307/S00279.htm |date=28 June 2009 }}, press release, [[Amnesty International]], 22 July 2003.</ref> Mozambique. On 25 November 2005, having been ratified by the required 15 member nations of the African Union, the protocol entered into force.<ref>[http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00099.htm UNICEF: toward ending female genital mutilation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628232726/http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00099.htm |date=28 June 2009 }}, press release, [[United Nations Children's Fund|UNICEF]], 7 February 2006.</ref> The protocol guarantees comprehensive rights to women including the right to take part in the political process, to social and political [[sexual equality|equality]] with men, and to control of their [[reproductive health]], and an end to [[female genital mutilation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/en-fgm-maputoprotocol.pdf |title=The Maputo Protocol of the African Union |author=Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) |date=6 March 2015 |access-date=8 October 2015 |archive-date=15 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415144600/http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/en-fgm-maputoprotocol.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence]], better known as the Istanbul Convention, was adopted by the [[Council of Europe]] on 11 May 2011. As of June 2020, the treaty has been signed by 45/47 Council of Europe member states and the [[European Union]]; 34 of the signatories have also ratified the convention.<ref name="Full list Istanbul Convention">{{cite web |title=Full list: Chart of signatures and ratifications of Treaty 210 |url=http://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/210/signatures |publisher=Council of Europe |access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref>