Enforcing Rights and Correcting Wrongs - Asia-Pacific Regional ...

Table 2: Sixteen Substantive Articles of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination against Women
Article 1 Define “discrimination against women”.
Article 2 Condemn discrimination against women and commit to eliminate it through:
• Embody equality of men and women in national constitution and laws.
• Adopt laws and impose sanctions that prohibit discrimination against women.
• Establish competent tribunals and public institutions to provide legal protection to women against
discriminatory acts.
• Repeal discriminatory national penal code provisions.
• Modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices of discriminatory nature.
Article 3 Take measures for full development and advancement of women in all field – political, social, economic
and cultural.
Article 4 Adopt temporary special measures to accelerate de facto equality between men and women.
Article 5 Take measures to:
• Modify social and cultural patterns and eliminate customary practices that promote gender stereotypes.
• Ensurefamilyeducationincludeproperunderstanding ofmaternityasasocialfunctionandrecognition
of shared responsibilities at home.
Article 6 Take measures to suppress trafficking in women and exploitation of women in prostitution.
Article 7 Take measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life. Such measures
include:
• Right to vote and hold public office.
• Participate in government policy making and implementation
• Participate in NGOs and associations concerned with the political and public life.
Article 8 Take measures to provide equal opportunities to women for:
• Representation in international organizations.
• Participate in the work of international organizations.
Article 9 Grant women the equal rights to nationality and citizenship. The rights include:
• Equal right to acquire, change or retain nationality, regardless of marriage to a foreign national or
change of nationality by husband.
• Equal right to determine the nationality of children.
Article 10 Take measures to grant equal rights to women in the field of education. These rights include:
• Equal opportunities in all levels of education – pre-school, general, technical, professional and higher
technical education; equal opportunity to benefit from scholarships and study grants.
• Access to same curricula, examinations, teachers, facilities and school equipments.
• Eliminate gender stereotypes through co-education, revision of text books and adaptation of teaching
methods.
• Reduce female students drop-outs rates.
• Equal opportunities to participate actively in sports and physical education.
• Access to information and advice on family planning
Annex
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