NHRC, India
Meeting on Every Women Treaty regarding their proposal for an International Treaty to End
Violence against Women
7.85 A meeting was organised virtually with the members of Every Women Treaty on latter’s proposal
for an International Treaty to End Violence against Women, on 11 January 2022 at 11 a.m., under
the chairpersonship of Smt. JyotikaKalra, Hon’ble Member, NHRC. Every Women Treaty is a
coalition of more than 1,700 women’s rights activists, including 840 organisations in 128 nations
working to advance a global binding treaty on the elimination of violence against women and
girls. The meeting was attended by the representatives of Every Women Treaty, Domain Experts,
and NHRC Officials. A presentation was made highlighting the rising incidents of gender-based
violence across the globe and emphasising the need and salient features of the proposed treaty to
address the issue.
7.86 During the meeting, it was discussed that the present international laws have some limitations,
and reiterated the Supreme Court Judgements, highlighting the relevance of present international
laws in jurisprudence. Also, the good ideas and best practices must be shared with nations to
curb violence against women and girls. Also, the proposal and points raised by experts will be
deliberated upon in the Commission and, thereafter, a view will be taken up by the Commission.
Publications Undertaken—‘Women’s Rights in India: An Analytical Study of The United Nations
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and The
Indian Constitution, Legislations, Schemes, Policies and Judgements 2021’
7.87 The Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is an
International Treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, also known as
an International Bill of Rights for Women. It consists of a preamble and 30 articles pertaining to
discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.
The convention defines discrimination against women as “… 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 the basis of
quality of men and women of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic,
social, cultural, civil or any other field.” However, India had ratified CEDAW on 09 July 1993, and
by accepting the Convention, the States commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to
end discrimination against women in all forms.
7.88 Considering the persisting and prevailing issue of civil, political, economical, and socio-cultural
discrimination against women, the National Human Rights Commission undertook an analytical
study of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
and domestic legal framework in 2020. For this task, a Sub-committee of experts was constituted
on 01 May 2020 with Smt. JyotikaKalra, Hon'ble Member, NHRC as its chairperson.
7.89 After working on the study for 19 months and holding twelve meetings, the thirteenth official
and final meeting of the Sub-Committee on CEDAW was held on 12 November 2021. During
the hybrid meeting, the content of the comprehensive book titled,‘Women’s Rights in India’was
ANNUAL REPORT
102
2021-22