In this study ways are put forward for implementing the standards and norms in the Women’s Convention at the national level of Curaçao. The central question is how this Convention can be used as a tool to improve the position of women. Special attention is paid to the implementation of the provisions on the abolition of gender stereotypes and on the rights of women in the family. These provisions have a dynamic nature and contribute to the uniqueness of the Convention as an international human rights law instrument. Since 2010 Curaçao has been an ‘autonomous’ country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and as such its State organs and agencies have the obligation under the Women’s Convention to realise women’s rights. However, socio-cultural classifications and mechanisms embedded in a colonial past, imperialism, prejudices based on ethnicity and racism all influence the way gender-relations are constructed and thus determine the position of women in this society. These classifications and mechanisms keep both indirectly and directly harmful gender-based stereotypes and fixed parental roles in place. Furthermore, they affect the way in which institutions like family law are viewed and applied by the State organs concerned. A proactive approach to the implementation of the Women’s Convention is proposed: namely, making local actors aware of their obligation to address the discrimination against women, as well as oppression, ill-treatment and backwardness of women. Moreover, a contextual approach is suggested to ensure a process of transformation and change at the national level. Two pillars of the investigation are the State accountability in the realisation of women’s rights on the one hand, and the possible contribution of NGOs to the empowerment of local women on the other hand. The study develops general socio-historical and legal parameters that need to be taken into consideration when putting into practice a framework for the realisation of women’s rights at country level. The designed framework uses the ...