Our Story

Every Woman Treaty formed in 2013 following the call for a global treaty to end violence against women and girls by the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Rashida Manjoo. A group of frontline activists and legal scholars from across the globe — Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, the UK, Afghanistan, the US, Croatia, and the Rosebud Indian Reservation — met at Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy to discuss whether a campaign was needed to advocate for such an instrument. The meeting led to the creation of Every Woman Treaty and the campaign for a global binding instrument.

Inspired by grassroots-led treaty campaigns such as the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Every Woman Treaty spent its early years conducting a multi-phase global consultation on how to strengthen the global legal framework on violence against women and girls, culminating in the campaign’s public launch (2019) and our first report, Safer Sooner. In February 2023, we released our second report, Safer Now, on how the rise in violence against women and girls demands urgent action.

Since our inception a decade ago, Every Woman Treaty has grown to a coalition of more than 3,900 women’s rights activists and organizations in 147 countries advancing a global treaty to end violence against women and girls. After extensive consultations with nations, we’re advancing a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) — a form of a binding global treaty — based on CEDAW General Recommendation 35 on violence against women and girls. 

In December 2023, our efforts led to the release of a joint statement by four nations — Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone — calling for the creation of a new Optional Protocol to CEDAW. These nations lead the State initiative for a treaty. The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls and three former Special Rapporteurs are calling for a global treaty as an Optional Procotocl to CEDAW.

Timeline on the global framework to end violence against and call for binding global law

1967

UN adopts the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

1979
UN adopts Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
1984
UN adopts Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
1989
UN adopts the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
1989
CEDAW Committee issues General Recommendation No. 12 on violence against women.
1991
The Commission on the Status of Women recommends to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that a framework for an international instrument explicitly addressing violence against women be considered in consultation with CEDAW.
1991
The Economic and Social Council adopts a resolution recommending the development of a framework for an international instrument that would explicitly address violence against women.
1993
UN General Assembly adopts the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (the outcome of the above ECOSOC resolution).
1994
Belém do Pará Convention on violence against women and girls is adopted by the Organization of American States.
1995
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action — a progressive blueprint for advancing women's rights — is adopted by 189 counties at the Fourth World Conference on Women.
1996
UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women Radhika Coomaraswamy (Sri Lanka) introduces the idea of a binding norm on violence: “The international community should consider the possibility of adopting an international convention on the elimination of violence against women. There does not at present exist a comprehensive international legally binding instrument on violence against women, and the position of the Special Rapporteur is only an ad hoc mechanism with no avenue for redress.”
2003
The African Union adopts the Maputo Protocol on women’s rights, which includes strong provisions on violence against women and girls.
2004
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) adopts Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.
2011
The Council of Europe adopts the Istanbul Convention on violence against women and girls.
Rashida Manjoo Courtesy UN Photo
Nov 2012

UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women Rashida Manjoo calls for a global treaty.

2013 First Mtg EWT
Jun 2013

Every Woman Treaty holds its first convening at Harvard Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, and forms an NGO under its original name, Everywoman, Everywhere.

Jul 2013

Every Woman Treaty Working Group forms.

2013-2021
Every Woman Treaty builds coalition and conducts eight years of research and global consultation with scholars and activists.
2014
UN Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo (South Africa) repeats call for a global treaty: “The concerns raised prior to the development and adoption of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, and subsequently reinforced by the work of the mandate holder over the past 20 years, give rise to the view that it is time for the international community to consider the adoption of a binding international convention or protocol on violence against women and girls, which should include a separate monitoring body.”
2015
UN Sustainable Development Goal 5.2 sets a target of eliminating violence against women by 2030.
2016
UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women Dubravka Šimonović surveys stakeholders on the need for a comprehensive treaty on violence against women. The majority of responding civil society organizations endorse the idea.
GR 35 Screenshot
2017
CEDAW issues General Recommendation No. 35 on gender-based violence against women.
2018
UN General Assembly adopts resolution on sexual harassment.
Mar 2019

Every Woman Treaty launches its public campaign for a binding global policy on violence against women and girls.

2019

C190 — the ILO’s treaty on ending harassment and violence in the world of work — is adopted.

Feb 2020

Every Woman Treaty releases its first report Safer Sooner: Toward a global binding norm to end violence against women and girls

Sep 2021
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari calls for a global treaty at the UN General Assembly: “Nigeria calls for collective global action through a Treaty to end all forms of violence against women and girls of all ages.”
5 Luis Almagro, OAS Secretary General
Sep 2021

Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro calls for a global treaty: “Violence against women is a global problem, demanding global values and global solutions. Delighted to meet with frontline activists from the Every Woman Treaty. I agreed it is urgent to advance a new global norm, modeled on LAC’s Belem do Para to end violence against women and girls.”

Nov 2021
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi issues a “strident call” for a global treaty at the African Union’s inaugural Men’s Conference on Positive Masculinity.
4 Resonating from South Asia Global Norms to Address Violence Against Women and Girls Final
Mar 2022
Coalition Members hold Resonating from South Asia to the World conference. Conference end with women’s rights advocates from across South Asia calling on their governments to champion, adopt and implement a binding global framework to end violence against women.
Jun 2022
At the IX Summit of the Americas, Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro states: “We have a responsibility to promote and protect the fundamental rights of women and girls in all their diversity. It is a right of every individual to be free from all forms of violence and we must commit to urgently advancing a self-standing new global treaty to end violence against women and girls.”
Jun 2022
At the IX Summit of the Americas, Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez issued a call for the treaty: “Today I want to make reference to the unrestricted defense of human rights, and particularly to welcome all the voices that clamor for us to adopt this international treaty to reject all forms of violence against girls and women.”
Jul 2022
The DRC becomes the first nation to lead the campaign for a global treaty to end violence against women and girls.
Sep 2022
Costa Rica joins the DRC in forming a Core Group of Friends, the State-led group that champions the treaty to other nations at the UN.
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Oct 2022

Costa Rica, the DRC and Every Woman Treaty co-host convening in Geneva on the need for a treaty. Attendees included more than 50 UN Permanent Representatives, diplomats, and international NGOs, as well as representatives of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Oct 2022

Costa Rica, the DRC and Every Woman Treaty co-host convening in Geneva on the need for a treaty. Attendees included more than 50 UN Permanent Representatives, diplomats, and international NGOs, as well as representatives of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Dec 2022
League of Arab States launches the Arab Declaration to Combat All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls.
Dec 2022
Sierra Leone joins the Core Group of Friends, the State-led initiative.
Feb 2023

Every Woman Treaty releases report Safer Now: Rapid rise in violence against women and girls demands highest level of global commitment.

Feb 2023
H.E. Mr. Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, call for treaty at the 52nd Human Rights Council. “My country…is resolutely committed to an international treaty to combat violence against women and girls. I take this opportunity to make an urgent appeal to UN member states to join my country, Costa Rica, and Sierra Leone in the Coordinating Group and Group of Friends to conclude this Treaty.”
Feb 2023
H.E. Mr. Arnoldo Andre, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship, Costa Rica, calls for treaty at the 52nd Human Rights Council. “Costa Rica calls for the negotiation of a new global treaty to eradicate violence against women and girls. We will continue to work to put this discussion on the table, ensuring that 75% of women who today have no regional or international protection may count on a minimum set of guarantees for their personal safety.”
Feb 2023
H.E. Mr. Arnoldo Andre, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship, Costa Rica, calls for treaty at the 52nd Human Rights Council. “Costa Rica calls for the negotiation of a new global treaty to eradicate violence against women and girls. We will continue to work to put this discussion on the table, ensuring that 75% of women who today have no regional or international protection may count on a minimum set of guarantees for their personal safety.”
Feb 2023
H.E. Sir Ronald Sanders, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the Organization of American States and the United States writes in an op-ed. “A global treaty to eradicate violence against women and girls is a treaty whose creation and adoption should be fully supported .... Caribbean governments and civil society should not hesitate to join in the treaty’s promotion.”
Mar 2023
Antigua and Barbuda joins Core Group of Friends, the State-led initiative for an optional protocol.
Jan - Jul 2023

Every Woman Treaty’s extensive consultation with States reveals a strong preference for a new treaty in the form of a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) specific to ending violence against women and girls.

Aug 2023

Consultation with Every Woman Treaty global coalition leads to overwhelming agreement to support a new optional protocol to CEDAW.

Sep 2023
UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women Dr. Dubravka Šimonović calls for an Optional Protocol to CEDAW specific to ending violence against women and girls.
joint statement screenshot
Dec 7 2023
Four nations — Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone — release a joint statement calling for the creation of a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Dec 7 2023
The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls and two former Special Rapporteurs release a joint statement: “Now is the time for an optional protocol to CEDAW on violence against women and girls.”
EWT CSW68 General Assembly Reem Alsalem
Mar 11 2024
The Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls calls for new Optional Protocol to CEDAW at the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Mar 12 2024
A fourth Special Rapporteur Dr. Yakin Ertürk (2003-2009) joins the call during the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Mar 12 2024
Four Nations, 4 Special Special Rapporteurs on violence against women call for new Optional Protocol to CEDAW on violence against women and girls at an event at 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women a webinar hosted by Every Woman Treaty.

JOIN THE CALL

I stand for a life free from all forms of violence for every woman and girl, everywhere.

I hereby join the call for a global treaty in the form of a new Optional Protocol to CEDAW to eradicate violence against women and girls.

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JOIN THE CALL

I stand for a life free from all forms of violence for every woman and girl, everywhere.

I hereby join the call for a global treaty in the form of a new Optional Protocol to CEDAW to eradicate violence against women and girls.

[contact-form-7 id="64f0986" title="contact form 1"]

*By signing you will be added to our mailing list. You can choose to opt out from the signature confirmation email.