Legal Tools for the Establishment of Gender Equality through International Law

The manual starts with a general background on the role of international law and how it can be used in a domestic context. It then touches on the concept of Customary International Law and some international forums for enforcing women's rights when domestic efforts are not sufficient.

We then look at some of the tools women are using - the laws - beginning with the women's rights treaty - the bill of rights for women - the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, followed by a short discussion of other treaties with a bit of extra focus on the ICCPR. In addition to treaties, a number of other international legal tools have developed including, most recently, Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.

The manual then reviews two other forums for enforcing women's rights - regional bodies and tribunals. It then discusses the role of constitutions and quotas in advancing rights. Finally, we provide other resources for understanding and researching international law.