Guides, Manuals, Tools
Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women (DESA-DAW 2009).
This handbook outlines the international and regional legal and policy
frameworks, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which mandate States to enact
and implement comprehensive and effective laws to address violence
against women. It then presents a model framework for legislation on
violence against women, including recommendations on the content of
legislation, accompanied by explanatory commentaries and good practice
examples. Finally, it provides a checklist of considerations to be
kept in mind when drafting legislation. The checklist highlights the
importance of identifying a clear legislative goal; undertaking comprehensive
and inclusive consultation with all relevant stakeholders, and in particular
survivors; and adopting an evidence-based approach to legislative drafting.
CEDAW and the
Reporting Process to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women: A Guide for UNICEF Field Staff (UNICEF
2009). This guide is a resource for UNICEF field staff and partners
to enable them to engage actively in the CEDAW process and to use
CEDAW and its Optional Protocol as tools for policy development and
planning, and for promoting and advocating for women’s and children’s
rights.
Gender
Equality at the Heart of Decent Work (ILO campaign,
2008–2009). In June 2008 the International Labour Organization
(ILO) launched a year-long, global, public awareness-raising
campaign, “Gender equality at the heart of decent work.” This
campaign, coinciding with the 90th anniversary of the ILO, was
held in the lead-up to the June 2009 International Labour Conference’s
general discussion on the same topic. The campaign was built
around twelve Decent Work themes, one each month highlighting
how women and men may be affected differently in their access
to rights, employment, social protection and social dialogue.
For each of the campaign themes, an information brief was produced,
accompanied by a poster and postcard, as well as a video news
release and dedicated webpage. The September 2008 brief, “Remove
the Obstacles: On the right track to equality,” jointly developed
by the Bureau for Gender Equality (GENDER) and the International
Labour Standards Department (NORMES), focuses specifically on
the institutional link between ILO standards and CEDAW. Read
it in English, French and Spanish. 
Making
the MDGs Work for All: Gender-Responsive Rights-Based Approaches
to the MDGs (UNIFEM 2008). This is a tool for policy
makers and development practitioners who are seeking practical
guidance for incorporating gender into the MDGs. It calls for a
gender-responsive and rights-based approach to implementing, monitoring
and reporting on the MDGs. It argues that the foundations for such
an approach have already been laid in CEDAW and the Beijing Plan
for Action, which complement and reinforce the MDG framework. The
publication aims to assist countries by suggesting a process for
developing a gender-responsive rights-based national MDG reporting
framework, and providing a sourcebook of issues to consider, possible
strategies, and suggested long-term and intermediate targets and
indicators.
CEDAW Briefing Kit (UNIFEM
2008). This is a basic introduction to the Convention. It explains
the key principles of the Convention in simple terms, and offers
a quick glance at the articles of the Convention and a description
of the CEDAW Committee’s General Recommendations. It also provides
brief information on the CEDAW reporting process, including what
State reporting entails and the role NGOs can play in the reporting
process.- 25 Years of Work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women (DESA-DAW 2007). This CD-ROM provides
easy access to 25 years of work of the Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women in monitoring the implementation
of CEDAW in States parties between 1983 and 2007. Following an introduction
and overview of the Committee’s work, the CD-ROM provides the full
text of all concluding comments issued by the Committee since its
first session, organized alphabetically by country and in chronological
order. It also contains the text of the Convention and the Optional
Protocol, as well as the 25 general recommendations issued on articles
of the Convention or cross-cutting themes, and its 1998 statement
on reservations.
Women’s Health and Human Rights: Monitoring the Implementation
of CEDAW (WHO 2007). This guide explains how human rights
related to health are enshrined in CEDAW, governmental obligations
to implement those rights, and monitoring of those obligations by
the CEDAW Committee. It concludes with suggestions for maximizing
WHO’s use of the CEDAW monitoring process. The guide provides information
on how WHO can assist countries in complying with their treaty obligations
for women’s rights, including the elimination of discrimination against
women in the area of health care. 
CEDAW and the Human Rights-Based Approach to Programming (UNIFEM
2007). This publication is a practical guide to the human rights-based
approach (HRBA) to programming for UNIFEM staff as well as partners,
with a particular focus on CEDAW. It highlights concrete implications
for programming of applying the HRBA and provides detailed background
information on CEDAW and other human rights treaties.
Passport to Equality (UNESCO,
UNAIDS, UNIFEM 2006). The Passport to Equality is a pocket-sized
publication that presents, explains and reproduces the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
in the form of a personal passport. The purpose of the Passport is
to make women and men all over the world aware of the existence of
the Convention.
CEDAW and Security Council Resolution 1325: A Quick Guide (UNIFEM
2006). This guide provides a basic introduction to CEDAW and UN Security
Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, and reviews
their commonalities, synergies, and potential strategic uses, particularly
in the context of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction.
Advancing Gender Equality – Using CEDAW and UN Security Council
Resolution 1325 (UNIFEM 2006). This training module
is a tool to build the capacity and awareness of gender equality
advocates in government and civil society in the Southern Caucasus
to advocate for and support the implementation of CEDAW and UN
Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.
Women’s
Rights in the Course of the Land Reform in the Republic of Tajikistan (UNIFEM
2005). This manual presents fundamental information on the land
reform process in the Republic of Tajikistan. The manual is of
practical interest for employees of executive bodies, managers
of rural businesses and organizations, leaders of dekhan farms,
local government, everyone involved in the process of land reform
and able to ensure women’s land rights in Tajikistan.
Claim
and Celebrate Women Migrants’ Human Rights through CEDAW (UNIFEM
2005). This publication takes women’s migration for work as an illustration
to demonstrate how the methodological framework of CEDAW can be used
effectively to address the long-term and immediate concerns of women
migrants at all stages of the migration process, even in the absence
from the Convention of a specific Article on migration.
CEDAW
Made Easy: Question and Answer Booklet (UNIFEM
2004). This booklet is designed to provide women’s
human rights advocates, government officials, students, teachers,
practitioners, and the general public with a snapshot view of CEDAW.
It aims to raise awareness of the rights to which women are entitled
under the Convention. It can be used to bring about concrete improvements
in the lives of Caribbean women.
CEDAW: Restoring Rights to Women (Partners
for Law in Development [New Delhi] in cooperation with UNIFEM and
Zonta International 2004). This publication is intended as a reference
and resource for those seeking a better understanding of CEDAW. It
looks at the basic rights, principles and concepts that are the foundation
of the Convention, examines its scope and coverage, and offers an
in-depth discussion of how it can be used as a framework to promote
gender equality and protect the human rights of women. The publication
aims not only to provide information, but also to encourage dynamic
inquiry and application of CEDAW.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women: Reporting Procedure (UNIFEM 2004). UNIFEM
prepared this tool on the new procedures for reporting on CEDAW,
in light of the increasing number of Pacific Island Countries and
Territories involved with the preparation of reports on the implementation
of the Convention to the CEDAW Committee. It was prepared to assist
State Parties, non-governmental organizations, and development partners
to fulfil their reporting obligations.
Handbook for Parliamentarians – The Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and its Optional Protocol (DESA-DAW
and IPU 2003). This handbook provides a comprehensive presentation
of CEDAW and its Optional Protocol for parliamentarians. The handbook
presents the background to and content of the Convention and the
Optional Protocol, and describes the role of the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women. It discusses implementation
of the Convention, and provides examples of good practices. It provides
guidance on what parliamentarians can do to ensure effective implementation
of the Convention and encourage use of the Optional Protocol. 
Human
Rights Protections Applicable to Women Migrant Workers: A UNIFEM
Briefing Paper (UNIFEM 2003). This briefing paper
provides some tools for human rights advocates working to advance
the rights of women migrant workers. It examines a set of concerns
facing women migrant workers using the five most relevant major
human rights conventions, including CEDAW.
Trafficking in
Persons: A Gender and Rights Perspective: Briefing Kit (UNIFEM
2002). This briefing kit is an invitation to all practitioners
addressing the issue of trafficking in persons to revisit and rethink
their efforts from a gender and rights perspective. It consists of
a number of informative fact sheets on the topic, its magnitude,
and best practices to address the problem.
Empowering Women Migrant Workers in Asia: A Briefing Kit (UNIFEM
2002). This briefing kit highlights the experience of struggle, resilience
and creative practice of overseas women migrant workers and their
support groups. It enhances our understanding of why and how prevention
of discrimination and abuse of these women should be addressed as
issues of promoting gender equality, upholding basic human rights,
and promoting sustainable development and principles of good governance.
