The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women or CEDAW for short is an international treaty adopted by the United Nations in 1979. As the only international human rights treaty that focuses on women’s rights, the treaty provides a universal definition of discrimination against women so those who would discriminate on the basis of sex can no longer claim that no clear definition exists. It also calls for action to eliminate discrimination in many areas including politics, law, employment, education and health care.