Roles of the United Nations and International Legal Instruments in the Protection of Women’s Rights

Abstract

Discrimination and violence against women have become widespread and multi-facetted. Discrimination against women and girls are observable in many spheres of life including social, cultural, economic, health, education, in representation in public life and in determination of nationality. Women and girls suffer violence than their male counterparts at home as well as during armed conflicts, internal or international. In keeping with preamble of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) 1945 to ‘reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity, and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women…’ the organisation has over the years put in place measures to tackle the issues of discrimination and violence against women in order to protect the rights of women. Notable among such measures is the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the establishment of a committee of experts to monitor the implementation of the Convention in the members States. The aim of this article is to discuss the role of the UN in the elimination of discrimination and violence against women. It will also appraise relevant international instruments designed to protect the rights of women globally and at regional levels. The study adopts the doctrinal research method by with legal instruments and case law as the primary sources of data, and textbooks, journal articles and the Internet as the secondary sources of data.