Analysis of the contribution of the 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women to women's rights: Statistical findings and country cases (New Zealand, Tanzania, Uganda)

Pacta sunt servanda---agreements must be respected---is the central guiding principle of international law. This principle is codified in Article 26 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, where it is stipulated in regard to international agreements that "every treaty in force is binding upon the parties to it and must be performed by them in good faith." Following this statement, one assumes that after formally accepting to be bound by an international law, i.e. ratification, a state will make changes in order to honor the terms of the international commitment. However, is this the case with respect to international human rights laws?; It has been argued that the goal of international human rights laws was to enhance progress towards greater respect of individual human rights based on the view that well-designed international human rights laws could promote peace, stability, and good governance. At the same time, it has also been argued that debates concerning international human rights law have taken place without much concrete evidence as to the effect or impact of the laws on state behavior. This dissertation contributes to the emerging debate about whether and how international human rights laws impact individuals' rights by evaluating the 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), one of a number of international human rights treaties that have emerged since the United Nation's 1945 founding.; The first part of the analysis comprises a statistical analysis of whether CEDAW ratification has contributed to an improvement in States Parties' promotion and protection of women's political, economic, and social rights. The second part of the project explores how CEDAW has contributed to women's rights in three countries---New Zealand, Tanzania, Uganda. Findings from the statistical analysis indicate that ratification of CEDAW can be associated with higher levels of government respect for some types of women's rights. Insights from the country case studies highlight examples of CEDAW incorporation into governmental and non-governmental initiatives aimed at increasing respect for women's rights. However, the country cases also underscore the challenges that further implementation of CEDAW faces.