The Reality of Reservations: A Quantitative Analysis of the Influence of Cedaw on Women's Holistic Rights
Open Access
Author:
Krivansky, Eryn Amanda
Area of Honors:
Political Science
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Laura Ann Roost, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Gretchen G Casper, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
International Politics CEDAW Political Science Women's Rights
Abstract:
In order to examine the effectiveness of international law, I have selected one particular United Nations charter that can best be explained as the back-bone of women’s rights law across the world. Yet, there are 32 different ways to get around following the provisions that the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) sets through the international treaty. My research question examines how reservations to CEDAW affect the experiences of women holistically within their home countries. This question not only attempts to explain the impact that CEDAW has had on the lives of women, but additionally it seeks to evaluate and explain the negative effect that reservations have on international law, and in this case, particularly the effect on CEDAW. I predict that countries that ratify CEDAW will increase the positive experiences of women across a spectrum, measured by women’s political, social, and economic rights. However, for those countries that apply reservations to specific articles of CEDAW, I hypothesize that these increases in rights will only be significant in terms of women’s access to political rights, leaving social and economic rights to suffer. Finally, I will examine whether it is simply the presence of reservations that hurts the measure of women’s rights domestically, or if the number of reservations to CEDAW holds the key.