THE U.N. CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS
OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN - 1980

This U.N. Convention was adopted at the World Conference in Copenhagen in 1980; Canadian participation in its drafting should be noted. It was ratified by the federal government in December 1981, after consultation with the provincial and territorial governments.

A milestone in the commitment of governments to women's rights, the Convention declares that:

1. . ..the term 'discrimination against women' shall mean any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.

5. Parties shall take all appropriate measures: ...(b) to ensure that family education includes a proper understanding of maternity as a social function and the recognition of the common responsibility of men and women in the up-bringing and development of their children, it being understood that the interest of the children is the primordial consideration in all cases.

Section 11.

1. Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of employment in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, the same rights, in particular:

1. The right to work as an inalienable right of all human beings;
   
   
2. The right to the same employment opportunities, including the application of the same criteria for selection in matters of employment;. . .
   
   
3. The right to equal remuneration, including benefits, and to equal treatment in respect of work of equal value.

2. In order to prevent discrimination against women on the grounds of marriage and maternity and to ensure their effective right to work, Parties shall take appropriate measures:

2. To introduce maternity leave with pay or with comparable social benefits without loss of former employment, seniority or social allowances;

3. To encourage the provision of the necessary supporting social services to enable parents to combine family obligations with work responsibilities and participation in public life, particularly through promoting child- care facilities.

Section 12.

1. Parties shall take all appropriate measures... to ensure ...access to health care services, including those related to family planning.

Section 16.

Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ...ensure.. .

5. the same rights to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to have access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise these rights..."