The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is the international women's rights treaty that spells out women's rights and obliges governments to ensure respect for these rights. The Malaysian government ratified CEDAW in 1995, but only just submitted their report to the CEDAW committee, after a gap of 10 years. We find out what this all means from Mary Shanthi Dairiam, a human rights and women's rights advocate and current director of International Women's Rights Action Watch - Asia Pacific, a charity devoted to the implementation of the CEDAW convention.