legally binding treaties and optional protocols 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 mexico city the united nations decade on women and debates on international norms such as cedaw the adoption of cedaw established a critical reference point underscoring the importance of gender equality 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