The first legally binding international treaty to criminalize all forms of violence against women, adopted by OAS member states in 1994.
Key Facts
- Adoption date
- 9 June 1994
- Adopting body
- Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), OAS
- Treaty type
- Legally binding international human rights instrument
- Compliance mechanism established
- 26 October 2004 (MESECVI)
- Primary focus
- Prevention, punishment, and eradication of violence against women
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Widespread recognition across the Americas of pervasive violence against women, including sexual violence, and the absence of a legally binding regional treaty specifically addressing such abuses, prompted the Organization of American States to pursue a dedicated international instrument through the Inter-American Commission of Women.
On 9 June 1994, the Inter-American Commission of Women of the OAS adopted the Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women at a conference in Belém do Pará, Brazil, establishing the first binding international treaty criminalizing all forms of violence against women.
The convention created enforceable legal obligations for OAS member states to combat violence against women. On 26 October 2004, the Follow-Up Mechanism (MESECVI) was established to monitor and ensure state parties' compliance, providing an institutional framework for regional accountability.
Political Outcome
Adoption of the first legally binding international treaty criminalizing all forms of violence against women among OAS member states