Cities for CEDAW: Local Action for Women’s Rights
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Description
Cities for CEDAW: Local action for women’s rights
| By 2050, nearly 70% of people will live in cities. Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and therefore also half of its potential. But gender inequality persists everywhere, stagnates social progress and stifles economic growth and rights protection. Urban and Peri-urban areas are where inequalities and opportunities converge. Cities have a choice: be places of safety, opportunity, and inclusion, or spaces where discrimination persists.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is the principal international treaty to advance the rights of women and girls and to promote gender equality. Adopted in 1979 and entered into force in 1981, CEDAW is ratified by over 90% of UN Member States, recognizes that gender discrimination violates the “principles of the equality of rights and respect for human dignity”. It defines discrimination, sets obligation for States to end it and creates an international monitoring system, whereby States must submit periodic national reports on measures they have taken to comply with the treaty. More specifically, CEDAW refers to the means to end discrimination (e.g. legislative measures, temporary special measures) and requests States to act in specific areas (political and public life, right to nationality, education, employment, health, economic and social life, marriage and family relations, etc.). San Francisco (USA) pioneered the adoption of CEDAW at the local level in 1998 by enacting a city ordinance implementing and enforcing the provisions of CEDAW locally. Other cities followed. In 2014, the Cities for CEDAW campaign was launched to provide tools and leadership to empower local women’s, civil and human rights organizations and municipalities to effectively initiate CEDAW within their city, county, town, local government or state. Today, more than 62 jurisdictions in the US have adopted CEDAW as an ordinance or resolution, covering about 82 million Americans. A global campaign was also launched in countries that have already ratified CEDAW, but that have not harmonized the international treaty into provincial or city law. In 2025 and 2026, Nigeria and Cardiff, Wales led the way, ensuring that CEDAW becomes a roadmap to institutionalize women’s human rights for future generations. |
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Date: 31 March 2026
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Localizing CEDAW
Local and regional governments play a key role in ensuring that women participate in local governance, that education and healthcare are accessible to women and girls, that there is no gender discrimination in employment, and that survivors of gender violence have a local support system. As such, local and regional governments can send a powerful message to their national government and to other cities and regions about the importance of empowering women and girls.
Local and regional governments, by “localizing” CEDAW, can become recognized leaders internationally in advancing women’s rights. They will be part of a global movement and connect with other like-minded cities, communities, municipalities and local governments, engaging with the international human rights system to realize gender equality, support the fulfilment of state obligations and, thus, achieve SDG5 – Gender equality.
🎯 Objectives
The event will launch the Cities for CEDAW campaign at the global level and encourage local and regional governments to join the initiative and start a holistic reflection on how they can implement CEDAW at the local level to respond to priorities needs within their constituencies.
🔑 Key issues
- Why it is important for cities and regions to implement CEDAW at the subnational level, even if their countries have signed/ratified it
- How cities have implemented and can implement the provisions of CEDAW locally and its impact
- How CEDAW can be used as a roadmap to enhance women’s rights protection, enjoyment and economic growth at the local level
- What are the resources that are available for cities to join the campaign and how can they join
Speakers
- Cardiff City Council representative (TBC)
- Soon-Young Yoon, Founder and Co-director, Cities for CEDAW History and Futures Project
- Esther Eghobamien-Mshelia, Vice-Chair, CEDAW Committee
- Los Angeles County Women and Girls Initiative representative (TBC)
Moderated by Anh Thu Duong, Co-Director, Global Cities Hub
Registration
Please register here for the online event. The event will be held in English, but translated captions will be available.