CEDAW or the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1979.

Women in developing countries are among the most vulnerable to the effects of crisis - be that climate change, food price hikes, the HIV/AIDS pandemic or the global recession. It is becoming more commonplace to hear women's testimony, but are women's voices heard when it comes to deciding on solutions?

Climate change strikes it fiercest blow against the poorest, most vulnerable people around the world, according to a United Nations report released today, urging policymakers to heed the role of women – who make up the majority of the poor – in combating climate change.

In Cameroon it was used to bring justice to village women suffering rape and other physical abuse from their husbands. In Morocco it sparked legal reforms hailed as “revolutionary” in their ability to reconcile universal human rights principles and that country's Islamic heritage. And in India it enabled sexual harassment in the workplace to be outlawed.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today marked the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by launching a Network of Men Leaders, a major new initiative bringing together current and former politicians, activists, religious and community figures to combat the global pandemic.

More than 175 human rights and feminist leaders--including three Nobel Peace Prize winners and leaders of national and international women's organizations—today sent an Open Letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today, urging her to condemn widespread violations of women's human rights in Honduras.

The United Nations announced Tuesday $10.5 million in new grants to bolster international efforts to end violence against women.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres stressed on Wednesday that his agency was fully committed to the prevention of sexual violence, which he said needed a personal as well as a collective response.

Following the chain of events that leads to something good is almost as inspirational as the good thing itself. Take the inspiring story of a group of diverse women who pulled together to bring peace to war-torn Liberia — a story that inspired the award-winning documentary, Pray The Devil Back To Hell, which was just released on DVD.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led a chorus of United Nations officials today in calling on the international community to make greater efforts to tackle the global pandemic of violence against women and girls.