Adopted in December 1979 by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its Resolution 34/180, the CEDAW came into force the 3rd of September 1981 after 20 countries had ratified the document. Its Optional Protocol adopted in December 1999 give women or group of women the right to submit to the UN Committee responsible for CEDAW individual complaints concerning violations of the Convention by their Governments. Faithful to its mandate, UNESCO considers education to be the single most effective means to achieve gender equality and women's self-empowerment. Article 10, relating to education states that it is by providing men and women with the same conditions of access to education and by eliminating all stereotyped ideas about the roles of men and women in society that we can move towards greater equality. Education is a basic human right, and each human being deserves to become master of his/her destiny.

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