The Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (abbreviated as DEDAW[1]) is a human rights proclamation issued by the United Nations General Assembly, outlining that body's views on women's rights.
[2] The Declaration was an important precursor to the legally binding 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Its aim was to promote gender equality, specifically for protection of the rights of women.
Article 1 declares that discrimination against women is "fundamentally unjust and constitutes an offence against human dignity".
Article 2 calls for the abolition of laws and customs which discriminate against women, for equality under the law to be recognised, and for states to ratify and implement existing UN human rights instruments against discrimination.