The CEDAW Index
The United Nations (UN) treaty body system is a powerful mechanism for promoting human rights. The UN influences government action through monitoring, programs, and country-specific recommendations.
In the context of women’s rights, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) influences government action by periodically reviewing 189 countries every four years. Governments report on their progress ahead of each review, and civil society organisations offer grassroots perspectives to the Committee in the form of ‘shadow reports’ which validate or challenge government narratives.
The problem
A significant challenge limiting the potential of the UN treaty body system is that the CEDAW Committee lacks clarity on the implementation of its recommendations, and their overall effectiveness in achieving health and social outcomes.
Despite its 40-year history, CEDAW lacks a systematic monitoring tool to track implementation. Government reports serve as primary sources of information, but they may not always present a complete picture. The emphasis on constructive dialogue as a key outcome can limit follow-up on concrete actions. Meanwhile, the under-resourced civil society organisations that are essential for providing independent assessments struggle to fill the gap.
Consequently, CEDAW remains an underutilised platform despite its global reach. Further, the Committee and gender equality advocates remain underinformed due to the lack of feedback on the realworld outcomes of the Committee’s work.
How we are solving this problem: The CEDAW Index
The George Institute for Global Health is developing a digital dashboard that collates recommendations from each review; determines the nature, scope and extent of governments’ implementation of programs, policies and regulatory strategies in response to Committee recommendations; and distills key local, regional and global lessons and insights.
The Committee’s initiatives have positively altered the health trajectory of populations across the globe. However, there continue to be many missed opportunities to strengthen government accountability.
Why should we invest in this work?
A unique, time-sensitive opportunity.
The Index represents a rare opportunity to create impact on a global scale, using rigorous research and advocacy to make a meaningful contribution to advancing human rights and health equity.
We have a unique methodology and global dataset, creating a niche tool for researchers and social innovators in this space. We have built relationships with key stakeholders including the CEDAW Committee and leading civil society groups, all of whom have recognised the importance of this work and its potential to drive change.
The research will address a critical gap in the UN infrastructure and have a direct impact on the reform of health laws for women, and potentially other groups including Indigenous communities, children and young people, contributing to a more equitable and just world for all.
View our proposal for funding a global dashboard to track government action on women’s rights and gender equality
The Index seeks to achieve this by:
- Using a combination of legal and public health expertise and machine learning to perform analyses, track and assess implementation.
- Providing continually updated information on implementation by country, income group, and humanitarian crisis status.
- Building on a globally unique methodology trialled on 117 countries.
What are the potential outcomes?
The data generated will enable researchers and gender equality advocates to:
- Inform the CEDAW Committee’s recommendations
so that they are better targeted. - Influence the way in which recommendations are
designed, so that they are more effective. - Support sharing of best-practice laws, policies and
programs between governments. - Support civil society organisations in holding
governments to account.
What are the potential impacts?
Increased pressure on governments to meet their
obligations under CEDAW, leading to:
- Increased government action to promote and protect
women’s health and rights, leading to - Better health outcomes for millions of women and
increased gender equity globally
Early successes
- Two reports have been developed and presented during the UN CEDAW reviews in Geneva, launched by Natasha Stott Despoja and other Committee Members.
- We have held three briefings on the project with the CEDAW Committee, with an overwhelmingly positive response, and an invitation to follow up and expand the work.
- The dataset has generated an AUD$650,000, three year grant from Co-Impact Philanthropy to use the
CEDAW Implementation Map (the predecessor to the CEDAW Index) to inform gender-based violence legislative reform in Kenya, South Africa, India, and Indonesia.
I am overwhelmed and awed by this data… We need to disseminate this – to as many stakeholders as possible. I would like to congratulate you.