Between legal equality and de facto discrimination: Recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for the States of Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

The States of Latin America and the Caribbean have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Nonetheless, achieving substantive equality between men and women in Latin America and the Caribbean remains a major challenge. The present study examines the concluding observations and recommendations made by the CEDAW Committee to the region’s countries. The first section presents a methodological and conceptual introduction to the subject of women’s autonomy, empowerment and rights as dealt with by CEDAW. The second chapter examines progress and challenges in the effort to guarantee women’s rights by analysing the observations and general recommendations made by the CEDAW Committee to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Lastly, some conclusions based on the reflections in the preceding chapters are presented.