The Circle Of Empowerment : Twenty-Five Years of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

The Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is one of the most important human rights tools ever created. Adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, it is often described as an international bill of rights for women. These essays and personal reflections from individuals who have served on the committee that monitors CEDAW introduce readers to the issues and the activism. Only a handful of countries have refused to ratify CEDAW; the U.S. is the only industrialised country among them. "The Circle of Empowerment" reveals the profound impact the convention has had on women's lives around the world and its potential to affect U.S. women. With examples and moving reminiscences from Japan to Tunisia to the Caribbean and beyond, this readable collection addresses CEDAW's impact on women in Islam, labour markets, migration, violence against women, human trafficking, women in politics and more.