Adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, this international bill of rights for women promises that signatory nations will modify and abolish social attitudes and cultural patterns and practices that are based upon perceptions of the inferiority or superiority of either sex. Further, the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) covers the guarantee to respect, protect and fulfill women's human rights in the private sphere of the family. These 19 essays and 28 personal reflections written by present and past CEDAW experts, reflect upon the convention as a living instrument, its overarching challenges (including the roles of culture and religion, education and legal literacy, globalization, and making women's rights universal), specific challenges (such as trafficking, labor, migration, rural life, violence and war), the work of the committee, remaining challenges and the work likely in the future. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)