The Convention describes discrimination as every form of distinction, exclusion or restriction which impairs the rights of women. The Convention indicates ways to combat discrimination and what the government must do in order to improve the position of women in their country. Over 185 states, among which the Netherlands, have now ratified the Convention.

The UN Women's Convention has a supervisory organ, the CEDAW Committee, consisting of 23 independent experts. The Committee verifies if the Convention is adhered to by the member states. The Committee issues general recommendations to add to the content of the protected rights in the Convention. These general recommendations provide states with additional guidelines for the implementation of the Convention.

By presenting a shadow report the NGOs can express their vision on the implementation of the CEDAW Convention. The CEDAW Committee uses this additional information to make an assessment of the state report. The government and a delegation of the NGOs have the opportunity to elucidate their positions during a meeting with the Committee. After studying the reports the Committee formulates its concluding comments. The concluding comments praise positive developments in the position of women in the country, but they pay special attention to the areas in which the state is not fulfilling its obligations under the Convention. As a member of the Dutch CEDAW network, Aim for human rights gives substantial input into the Dutch shadow reports about the implementation of women’s human rights in the Netherlands.