The Silences of International Human Rights Law: The Need for a UN Treaty on Violence Against Women.

The article focuses on the absence of an international treaty that explicitly recognizes violence against women (VAW) as a standalone human rights violation. While the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) addresses gender-based violence indirectly as a form of discrimination, it lacks specific provisions or definitions related to VAW, relying instead on non-binding "soft law" instruments such as general recommendations and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (DEVAW). The article argues that these soft law measures are insufficient for ensuring state accountability and that the current international legal framework inadequately addresses the pervasive and multifaceted nature of violence against women. It advocates for the development and adoption of a comprehensive, legally binding UN treaty on violence against women, which would establish clear obligations and monitoring mechanisms to better prevent, punish, and eradicate VAW globally.