Protection of Women under International Law

The world that we occupy reeks of patriarchal repercussions that have led to a definite asymmetry in the division of power between man and woman. The victimization of women was a corollary of such a division. Many international instruments contain extensive provisions seeking to forward gender equality, but the fact is that it is yet to be attained. A major obstacle of this is gender discrimination. While the general definition for gender discrimination is a situation where people are treated differently because they are male or female, as opposed to on the basis of skill or capabilities, this menace appears in society as various abhorrent acts. Long-standing traditions, cultural practices, and religious customs are some of the most prevalent contributors to gender discrimination, but laws and policies also have a role to play. The fight for the protection of women and to provide them their rights was set in motion in the international front since 1888 when the International Council of Women was established while the League of Nations was active. Later in 1904, the International Women’s Alliance came about. These two organizations together lead to women’s issues being considered as one of international importance and the establishment of the Nations Committee of Experts on the Legal status of women in 1937. As the years passed, the United Nations came into existence, bringing with it an awe-worthy framework to aid in the protection of women’s rights. This paper analyses this framework, the major international instruments formulated, the Bodies of the UN that relate to this, and to also discuss the framework in action.