Gender-Based Violence in International Human Rights Law – The Efficacy of the United Nations Human Rights Legal Framework and CEDAW in Addressing the Issue

Despite the numerous advances that have been made in gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) or violence against women and girls (VAWG) at the national and international levels, GBVF continues at pandemic levels throughout the world. One of the main reasons for the high rates of GBVF is that there is currently no global legally binding treaty that comprehensively addresses VAW. The purpose of this paper is to consequently examine whether and how VAWG is being acknowledged and regulated within the international human rights law, and more specifically within CEDAW. It calls for an internationally binding treaty to effectively address VAWG.