The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) marks its 30th anniversary on 18 December 2009. Since its adoption by the UN General Assembly 186 countries have ratified the Convention.

UNIFEM and many other women’s organisations are looking to the opportunity that the 30th anniversary offers both to assess progress, and to underscore the continuing need to press for full implementation of CEDAW.

Until the celebration event to be held on December 3, IPS is producing a special series of articles, columns from international leading thinkers and interviews which are being featured on the new Women in the News / Las Mujeres son Noticia websites and in The Gender Wire newsletter, which has already attracted more than 3,000 subscribers.

IPS is already co-operating with the “Pathways to Empowerment” initiative to gather the stories of CEDAW’s first 30 years.

This work is undertaken within the framework of our overall programme “Communicating for Change: Getting Voice, Visibility and Impact for Gender Equality”.