Dag Hammarskjöld Library at Uppsala University
Women
- © United Nations
Since its inception, the United Nations legitimized demands for full equality and equal rights for men and women alike. The Preamble to the UN charter reaffirms faith in the equal rights of men and women and four different Articles of the Charter: 1(3), 55, 68 and 76, state that human rights and fundamental freedoms belong to all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), was established in 1946 with the prime responsibility within the United Nations of improving the conditions of women. The Commission consists of 45 members elected on a regional basis for a period of 4 years. They meet for an annual session for two weeks. The Commission works to promote the advancement of women worldwide by setting global standards, evaluating progress on gender equality and preparing recommendations and reports to ECOSOC.
The Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) within the UN Secretariat is the administrative centre for the work of the Commission on
the Status of Women. N.B.! From 2011 DAW has been incorporated into the newly established UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - UN Women, see below.
For the purpose of monitoring progress made in the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has been established.
The Committee reports to ECOSOC, the General Assembly and the Commission on the Status of Women.
In 1994, the Commission on Human Rights appointed a Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences to seek and receive information on this issue and recommend measures, and report to the Commission. Its mandate continues, from June 2006, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council.
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) was created at the beginning of the United Nations Decade for Women, 1975-1985, to provide direct support for development projects for women. For more information, see DagDok: UNIFEM. N.B.! From 2011 UNIFEM has been incorporated into the newly established UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - UN Women, se below.
The United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) is an international institute established by the United Nations in 1976 to undertake research and training programs, and to promote capacity building for the advancement of women. For more information, see DagDok: INSTRAW. N.B.! From 2011 INSTRAW has been incorporated into the newly established UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - UN Women, se below.
In July 2010 the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution to set up the new UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, to be known as UN Women. See also DagDok, UN Women.
The new body will consolidate four existing UN bodies on women: UNIFEM - UN Development Fund for Women, DAW - The Division for the Advancement of Women, OSAGI - The Office fo the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women and INSTRAW - The International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women.
The new entity will strengthen the role of the UN in advancing the situation for women and it will give a powerful voice for women within the UN system and at the global, regional and local level.
UN Women is operational from January 2011 and it is headed by former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet.
Documentation
Since 1950, more than 50 conventions on the status of women have been enacted through the efforts of the United Nations. International Instruments and Treaty Bodies can be accessed through WomenWatch.
Progress of the World's Women is a survey conducted by UNIFEM biannually to overview the implementation of the principles of the Millennium Declaration concerning the empowerment of women. The most recent edition is posted at the UN official web site.
The United Nations and the Advancement of Women, 1945-1995 is a compilation of the United Nations' work on women's issues since World War II with relevant full text documents.
Yearbook of the United Nations, Part Three: Economic and Social Questions, Chapter X: Women provides an overview of the United Nations work in the field of women with a detailed subject index. A complete collection of yearbooks is held by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, Uppsala, and the Libraries at UN Headquarters in New York
and Geneva. Since October 2008 the complete full text collection of The United Nations Yearbooks is available online at http://unyearbook.un.org/.
For documentation on the UN Commission on the Status of Women: see DagDok, section Commission on the Status of Women.
For documentation on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women : see DagDok, section Women's Rights. CEDAW.
Reports on violence against women are posted at the UNHCHR official web site, section Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
The UNDP report Human Development Report contains gender-related indexes. The reports are available online.
Women, War and Peace is an information gateway to women in armed conflict. created by UNIFEM.
The United Nations has organized four international conferences on women: in Mexico City, 1975; Copenhagen, 1980; Nairobi, 1985; and Beijing, 1995.
The official documents from these conferences can be accessed from the UN Collection of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, Uppsala, and the Libraries at UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva.
The conference documents carry the following symbols:
- A/CONF.66: World Conference on the International Women's Year (1975 : Mexico City)
- A/CONF.94: World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women (1980 : Copenhagen)
- A/CONF.116: World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade
for Women: Equality, Development and Peace (1985 : Nairobi). Some full text documents are posted at the WomenWatch web site. section UN Conferences, Meetings and Special Days. - A/CONF.177: United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women : Action for Equality, Development and Peace (1995 : Beijing). Full text documents are posted at the WomenWatch web site, section UN Conferences, Meetings and Special Days.
In June 2000, the General Assembly held a special session to implement the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women: Beijing +5. Women 2000: Gender, Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century - 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly, 5-9 June 2000. Full text documents can be retrieved from the WomenWatch web site, section UN Conferences, Meetings and Special Days.
Information about INSTRAW research programs can be accessed through its official web site.
Databases and Indexes
Subject search can be performed through the UN official web site, section Economic and Social Development, Index to Programmes.
Directory of UN Resources on Gender and Women's Issues is posted at WomenWatch, at the UN Official web site.
A web portal to the United Nations work for women with links to UN main bodies and focal points and full text documents and reports is posted at the UN official web siteis posted at the UN official web site, section Global Issues, Women.
Thematic Issues and Critical Areas of Concern is a subject guide with full text resources posted at the UN official web site, section WomenWatch.
Women of the World. Regions and Countries is a dabase with information gender issues worldwide posted at the UN official web site, section WomenWatch.