Legally binding treaties and optional protocols33 further delineate specific human rights protections, creating a comprehensive normative human rights legal framework. This came to the fore during the first World Conference on Women (1975, Mexico City), the United Nations Decade on Women (1976-1985) and debates on international norms, such as CEDAW.35 The 1979 adoption of CEDAW established a critical reference point underscoring the importance of gender equality36 in development with an explicit focus on reducing discrimination against women. Gender, on the other hand, focuses on socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men or women.