Measuring Women's Economic and Social Rights Achievement

Abstract

In recent years empirical research in the field of human rights produced several different measures along with volumes of literature. 1 This scientifically oriented research has, for the most part, concerned itself with civil and political rights. Economic and social rights, due to the lack of sufficiently valid and reliable measures, have received far less academic attention. Similarly, although women's rights have been the focus of scholarly concern, scant consideration has been paid to empirical, cross-national studies on women's economic and social rights. Yet, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (Committee) 2 recently noted [End Page 139] the importance, and relative absence, of disaggregated and precise indicators on the situation of women. 3 The Committee remarked that "statistical information is absolutely necessary in order to understand the real situation of women in each of the States parties to the Convention." 4