Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): Legal review of measures introduced by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities that impact women and girls’

This Resource Paper is a legal review of the compliance of key measures introduced by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities since August 2021 with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It is intended as a resource for national and international actors seeking to understand whether the measures introduced by the de facto authorities comply with Afghanistan’s obligations under CEDAW. It also establishes a baseline from which Afghanistan’s progressive compliance with CEDAW provisions could be assessed in the future. Undertaken jointly by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), this legal review maps each measure in relation to the provisions of CEDAW and its foundational principles of non-discrimination and State obligations. Where applicable, General Recommendations and Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on CEDAW are included to supplement the legal review of each selected measure.