[2] The CPRW commits member states to eliminate gender discrimination and set an international standard for women's political rights.

It aims to implement principles of gender equality as outlined in the United Nations Charter, which affirms everyone's right to participate in their country's government.

Despite the legal recognition of women's voting rights in nearly every country, practical barriers often hinder full political participation.

Challenges include the absence of free and fair elections, restrictions on freedom of expression, and lack of security, which disproportionately impact women.

[2] In some countries, women face difficulties registering to vote due to the absence of essential documents, such as birth certificates or identity papers, which may only be available to men.

Additional obstacles include gender stereotypes, traditional societal roles, limited access to information, and insufficient resources, all of which can discourage women from exercising their voting rights.

Furthermore, the structure of political parties, the high cost of running for office, and the dual burden of work and family responsibilities continue to pose barriers.

Despite widespread ratification of CEDAW, women remain underrepresented at all levels of government, reflecting ongoing gender disparities in political participation.

Discrimination may be an isolated event affecting one person or a group of persons similarly situated, or may manifest itself through harassment or abuse of authority.”[7] Article 2 (II) Women shall be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies, established by national law, on equal terms with men, without any discrimination.

This Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts shall be equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the United Nations.

- Denmark, Fiji, Finland, Germany, India, Mauritius, Sierra Leone and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, are subject to reservations regarding women in positions of military appointments or recruitment services.

Article VII - Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, and Yemen object to the last sentence of Article VII, which allowed the State’s objections to lead to only a partial application of the provisions made by the convention.

- Canada, China, Denmark, Ethiopia, Norway, Pakistan and Sweden object to this reservation made by Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, and Yemen concerning this article.

Among the countries that had implemented such systems, there was a lack of enforcement and women were subject to additional qualifications to vote, such as meeting specific age requirements or levels of education.

[10] This context contributed to the adoption of the Convention on the Political Rights of Women (CPRW) entering force on 7 July 1954.

[13] For example, in South America, its adoption coincided with the enactment of suffrage rights for women in countries like Paraguay and Colombia.

Similarly, African and Asian countries often referenced the CPRW when incorporating provisions of political equality and voting rights into their legal system.

Key terms such as “equal rights” and “discrimination”, were poorly defined leading some countries to ratify the treaty with reservations that limited its applicability.