Human rights
These international instruments are not abstract commitments.
They are powerful tools forged by decades of activism, advocacy, and collective resistance. From CEDAW to the Beijing Platform for Action, from the Istanbul Convention to the Maputo Protocol, each framework marks a milestone in the global movement to end discrimination, dismantle violence, and transform patriarchal systems that limit the lives of women and girls.
By knowing these conventions, invoking them, and insisting on their implementation, we strengthen our capacity to push governments to act, to protect those who are silenced, and to make equality a lived reality. ICW members and partners worldwide use these instruments every day—to challenge injustice, to demand reforms, and to empower communities.
This page invites all who share our mission to engage with these texts not as distant declarations, but as weapons for justice and promises we will hold the world accountable to.
The fight continues—and these conventions are among our strongest allies.
Major International Conventions on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Istanbul 11/05/2011 – Treaty open for signature by the member States, the non-member States which have participated in its elaboration and by the European Union, and for accession by other non-member States.
Outcome document of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
Identifies 12 critical areas of concern: violence, education, health, women in power, economy, media, environment, etc.
Periodically reviewed (Beijing+5, +10, +20, +25, +30).
The Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, known as the Convention of Belém do Pará defines violence against women, establishes that women have the right to live a life free of violence and that violence against women constitutes a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Often called the “International Bill of Rights for Women.”
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women.
Conventions on Children’s Rights (with key relevance for girls)
The OPSC is a vital instrument in the global fight against the exploitation of children. It demands that States criminalize the sale of children, sexual exploitation, and all forms of child sexual abuse material—online and offline.
For ICW, this Protocol is more than a legal text: it is a call to action. It strengthens our advocacy to expose trafficking, protect child survivors, and hold perpetrators and governments accountable.
The exploitation of children is a crime that must never be tolerated. The OPSC gives us the tools to confront it—and to insist that every child is safeguarded, everywhere.
The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC) is a decisive step in the global fight to protect children from the brutality of war. Adopted in 2000, it raises the minimum age for direct participation in hostilities and for compulsory recruitment, and it requires States to prevent the use of children by armed groups.
For ICW, OPAC is a powerful instrument to confront the militarization of childhood, expose the recruitment of girls and boys, and demand accountability from governments and armed actors. It strengthens our advocacy to ensure that no child is forced to fight, exploited as a soldier, or trapped in conflict-related violence.
Children belong in schools and communities—not on battlefields. OPAC reinforces our commitment to protect every child’s right to safety, dignity, and peace.
Universal framework protecting all children’s rights.
Crucial aspects for girls include:
- Protection from early and forced marriage
- Protection from sexual violence
- Right to education
- Right to health
Additional Key International and Regional Texts
- UN Charter (1945) – principle of equality
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) – equality without distinction of sex
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR, 1966)
- Convention No. 100 (1951) – Equal remuneration
- Convention No. 111 (1958) – Discrimination in employment and occupation
- Convention No. 156 (1981) – Workers with family responsibilities
- Convention No. 183 (2000) – Maternity protection
- Convention No. 190 (2019) – Violence and harassment at work
Europe
- European Convention on Human Rights (1950)
- Istanbul Convention (2011)
Africa
- Maputo Protocol (2003) – African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women: sexual and reproductive rights, anti-violence, ban on FGM, etc.
Americas
- Belém do Pará Convention (1994)
Influential but Non-Binding Global Frameworks
- 2030 Agenda / Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5: Gender Equality)
- UN Security Council “Women, Peace and Security” Resolutions (1325 and subsequent)
- UN resolutions on ending Female Genital Mutilation
- Sexual Rights Declaration (IPPF / WAS) – non-UN reference