The principle of equal rights of women and men was already stated in the Preamble to the 1945 Charter of the United Nations: “We, the Peoples of the United Nations, [have resolved]... to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women...”.

This principle was included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. The two Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 have also incorporated this principle. They do not distinguish between the genders and naturally apply to all people, both men and women. However, it became clear that concerns specific to women were not sufficiently taken into account in the human rights field, and that human rights were not automatically understood as women’s rights as well.

For this reason, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was created in 1979 as an additional instrument for the achievement of gender equality. In 30 articles, the Convention defines the globally applicable standards for a society of gender equality and the responsibilities of the State and of society to realize women’s rights. So far, 186 States have ratified CEDAW (as of August 2009). Liechtenstein has been a State Party since 1996 and has to date submitted three country reports to the UN on the implementation of the Convention in Liechtenstein.

The 1999 protocol to CEDAW established the possibility of lodging an international complaint against discrimination of women. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) is responsible for considering such complaints. The protocol entered into force in 2000 and has been ratified by 98 State so far (as of August 2009). Liechtenstein ratified the protocol in October 2001.

In 2000, the General Assembly of the United Nations organized a Special Session on Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century in New York, at which Liechtenstein was represented. The goal of the event was to review the global progress made in implementing women’s rights since the UN World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995 and to ascertain the obstacles that had not yet been surmounted and the new challenges encountered in realizing these rights. For this purpose, a Platform for Action had been adopted in Beijing, defining around 360 measures in the areas of human rights, violence, health, armed conflict, economics, decision-making positions and processes, mechanisms to promote gender equality, development questions, poverty, child-raising and education, environment, media, the girl child, and the responsibilities and time frames for implementing the measures. The overarching goal of the Platform for Action is to incorporate a gender perspective in all areas of politics, economics, administration, etc. (gender mainstreaming). All participating States committed themselves to implementing the Platform for Action in the framework of a National Action Plan. In Liechtenstein, the Government Office of Equal Opportunity is responsible for implementation of the Platform for Action. In annual implementation plans, the Government Office reports on the activities undertaken.

In addition to the UN, the Council of Europe is also working to improve the rights of women. Women’s rights are legally enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter. A Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men, to which Liechtenstein also belongs, deals with the topic. In addition, the Council of Europe is committed at different levels to the promotion of gender equality, the participation of women in decision-making processes, democratization processes, conflict prevention and reconstruction, but also to the prevention of all forms of violence against women, including trafficking of women, etc.

Finally, the commitment on behalf of the rights of women is an integral part of the International Humanitarian Cooperation of Liechtenstein. The focus is on the protection of women in armed conflicts and the inclusion of women in post-conflict reconstruction, the fight against trafficking of women and sexual exploitation, and the fight against HIV/AIDS.   

Further information

• On UN activities
• On Council of Europe activities
• First Liechtenstein country report on the implementation of CEDAW submitted to the UN (German (PDF, 355.68 KB) / English (PDF, 1.93 MB) )
• Second Liechtenstein country report on the implementation of CEDAW submitted to the UN (German (PDF, 307.16 KB) / English (PDF, 162.88 KB) )
• Concluding Observations of the CEDAW Committee on the first Liechtenstein country report (English )
• Third Liechtenstein country report on the implementation of CEDAW submitted to the UN (German (PDF, 710.79 KB) /English (PDF, 634.12 KB) )
• Concluding observations of CEDAW on the second and third Liechtenstein country report (German (PDF, 87.09 KB) / English (PDF, 75.19 KB) )
• Fourth Liechtenstein country report on the implementation of CEDAW submitted to the UN (German (PDF, 374.81 KB) English (PDF, 361.03 KB) )

Related links

• UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, German / englisch )
• Opionial Protocol to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (LGBl. 2002 Nr. 17, German (PDF, 54.60 KB))
• Special Session on Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century in New York (English )
• Office of Equal Opportunity