The role of the CEDAW Committee in the implementation of public policies on gender issues: analysis through a study of the protection of girls' rights in Spain

The CEDAW Committee plays a significant role as a mechanisms to stimulate States to advance in the elimination of all the forms of discrimination, both directly, through making States aware of the extent of their commitment and incentivising public policies and indirectly, by providing civil society with tools to put pressure on public authorities to fulfil their obligations and push for normative and policy reform. This article undertakes this analysis by focusing on one country: Spain, and one specific issue: the rights of girls. The case study explores the extent to which the decisions of the Committee have a real impact on Spanish public policy regarding the protection and promotion of the rights of girls, with a view to provide more general conclusions regarding the impact of the Committee's decisions. This analysis allows us to observe the legal and juridical force of CEDAW's guarantee mechanisms through its capacity to influence, and serve as a catalyst of public policy reform.