Sexual equality in the light of the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and domestic legislation

Abstract

In spite of legislative and practical innovations, there is still a tension between the enforcement mechanisms which seek to transform equality from a vague idealistic theory into practical and real de facto equality. This emerges both from the international perspective as far as CEDA W is concerned, and from the domestic perspective, under the Equality for Men and Women Act. On the other hand one acknowledges that legislation constitutes an important step towards the achievement of de facto equality. Achieving de facto equality is far more than providing effective remedies following a discriminatory act. It is also about educating individuals from a young age to broaden their outlook from a gender perspective. In fact, one of the major challenges faced by a State is that of combating gender stereotypes which are embedded in a country's culture and tradition. These constitute one of the major obstacles to the achievement of equality. Although much has been done on an international and domestic level, there is still room for more improvement in this area. Proactive measures, legislative amendments and the contribution of certain social players such as NGOs definitely contribute to the achievement of this purpose.