Getting involved (UNCSW Day 4)

Susan Jones '02
Director of Faith-Based Service and Learning

Today was packed with workshops and another chance to sit in on this year’s Commission meeting where UN member nations have begun making statements that will become the Commission’s Agreed Conclusions, an important piece of international policy in the field of women’s rights. This week, I’m also learning about another important piece of international policy--the United Nations Convention to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women or CEDAW.

CEDAW is the most comprehensive and authoritative international agreement that guarantees women’s human rights. It has been described as an international bill of rights for women, and is sometimes called the Treaty for the Rights of Women. CEDAW guarantees fundamental rights for women in all areas of life, including education, economics, health care, law, politics, employment, and property ownership. CEDAW is also important because it sets forth an internationally accepted definition of gender discrimination, which is said to include "any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field." (CEDAW, Article 1)

CEDAW is the product of decades of work by women and their advocates. 185 countries (95% of UN member states) have now ratified CEDAW. The United States was a vital part of drafting CEDAW when it was drafted in 1979, and President Carter signed the Convention on behalf of the US in 1980. However, in the 27 years that have passed since, the US Senate has not ratified CEDAW. This makes the United States the only industrialized nation that has failed to ratify. (The only other countries who have not yet ratified are Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Qatar, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga. Iraq raitified CEDAW in 1986. Myanmar ratified in 1987. China and Saudi Arabia ratified in 2000.)

Why does it matter?

CEDAW matters because it is used as a tool for ensuring that women around the world are guaranteed basic human rights. Nation-states that are parties to CEDAW are required to submit an annual report on the status of women’s rights in their countries to the UN’s CEDAW Committee. Those nation-states that systematically violate the rights of women can be reported to the CEDAW Committee by individuals or non-governmental organizations. The CEDAW Committee can then conduct inquiries into these violations. Through this process, CEDAW is being used around the world to reduce violence and discrimination against women and girls, ensure proper access to education and health care, improve work conditions for women, and provide a legal framework for addressing violations of women’s rights.

The United States has long been considered a leader in the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. US ratification of CEDAW lends credibility to the Convention, which gives it more weight with international governments that violate the fundamental rights of women. Ratification would also send a strong message about America’s commitment to promoting basic human rights for all people, regardless of their gender. By the same token, US failure to ratify CEDAW harms the nation’s reputation as a human rights leader, and causes the nation to lose credibility when it criticizes other nations on their stance on women’s rights.

How can CEDAW be ratified?

The United States Constitution gives the power to enter international treaties to the President and the Senate. The measure must be brought to the floor from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a vote by the full Senate. The ratification of CEDAW would require a two-thirds vote (67 Senators voitng in favor of ratification). The House of Representatives is not required to pass the measure because US laws will not need to be changed in order for CEDAW to be implemented. Once the CEDAW ratification measure is passed by the Senate, it can not be vetoed by the President.

What can we do?

If you are interested in working toward the US ratification of CEDAW, there are several ways you can get involved. Here are three...

• Any Senator, even those who are not on the Foreign Relations Committee, can note their support for CEDAW on the Congressional Record. Write a letter (or send an email) to the Senators representing your state that encourages them to insert a statement of support for CEDAW into the Congressional Record. You can do this by email in less than two minutes using this form.


• The Senate Foreign Relations Committee must vote in favor of sending CEDAW to the full Senate for ratification. Write a letter (or send an email) urging each member of the Committee to support CEDAW. You can find a list of the current Foreign Relations Committee members here.


• After that, write a letter (or send an email) to the sixteen women currently serving in the Senate. Encourage them to support women around the world by noting their support of CEDAW in the Congressional Record. Find out who the sixteen female Senators are here.

And once you've done all of those things, start recruiting your friends. Educate them about CEDAW and encourage them to write letters and tell others.

[ Read the full text of CEDAW ]