ABSTRACT
The General Assembly on December 11, 1946, adopted Resolution 56(I), recommending to Member States that they adopt legislation to provide women the same political rights as men; this action was taken to encourage fulfillment of their obligations under the Charter. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 also provides in Article 21 that everyone, regardless of sex, has the right to participate in the government of his or her country and to have equal access to its public service. The treaty was drafted by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Inspired by the 1948 Convention on the Granting of Political Rights to Women, adopted by the Inter-American Conference, the Commission decided in 1949 to make political rights a top priority in their work. The treaty provides that women are entitled to vote, are eligible to stand for election, and may hold public office, all on equal terms with men.
