3. On December
18th,1979, CEDAW
was adopted by the
United Nations
General Assembly. It
entered into force as
an international
treaty on September
3rd, 1981 after the
20th country had
ratified it.
4. “
”
CEDAW was the culmination of more
than 30 years of work by the United
Nations Commission on the Status of
Women, a body established in 1946 to
monitor the situation of women and to
promote women’s rights.
7. 187 countries have ratified CEDAW
7 have not
2 small Pacific Islands
( Palau and Tonga)
Iran
Sudan
Somalia
and The United States
South
Sudan
8. CEDAW will strengthen the
United States as a global leader in
standing up for equality for women
and girls.
The U.S. Should Ratify CEDAW Now
9. CEDAW has improved women’s
lives on the ground
• In ratifying countries, women
have partnered with their
governments to change their
laws and policies, creating
greater safety and opportunity
for women and their families
“CEDAW has improved women’s literacy levels, labor
force participation rates, and parliamentary
representation – and in some cases has reduced absolute
gender inequalities.”
-World Bank Report, 2012
10. CEDAW PROMOTES THE
ADVANCEMENT OF
WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE
U.S.
While American
women enjoy
opportunities and
status not
available to most
around the world,
few would dispute
that much more
progress is
needed.
11. CEDAW WOULD PROVIDE AN
EFFECTIVE CATALYST FOR
CHANGE IN THE U.S.
CEDAW would provide an opportunity for
national dialogue on persistent inequalities
in the U.S.
Each country determines how to bring its
policies in line to eliminate discrimination
against women and girls.
12. U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD
RATIFIED BY THE U.S.
International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR)
Convention on the Elimination
of all forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD)
Convention Against Torture
(CAT)
Convention Against Genocide
(CAG)
NOT RATIFIED BY THE U.S.
• International Covenant on
Economic, Social, and Cultural
Rights (ESCR)
• Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC)
• Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Convention on Elimination of
Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW)
13. 1980:
President
Jimmy
Carter
signed
CEDAW
1994:
Voted out of
the Senate
Foreign
Relations
Committee
with
bipartisan
support
2002:
Again voted out
of the Senate
Foreign
Relations
Committee with
bipartisan
support
2010:
Senator
Durbin held a
hearing on
CEDAW in a
Senate
Judiciary
Sub-
committee
(image)
2011:
Senators
Boxer and
Casey, held a
hearing on
Women and
the Arab
Spring, which
highlighted
CEDAW
CEDAW’S History in the U.S.
14. CEDAW IS CURRENTLY
PENDING IN THE SENATE
• The full Senate has never held a vote on the
treaty
• Ratification requires 2/3 vote, or 67 votes
• Ratification does not require any action by
the House of Representatives.
15. On Tuesday, June 24th, 2014 a Senate Foreign Relations
Subcommittee chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer held a
hearing, featuring testimony by an unprecedented number of
women senators, who called for action on CEDAW to stem the
tide of violence against women and girls across the globe.
Senate Hearing Reignites Hope
For CEDAW and I-VAWA
16. SUPPORTING CEDAW
LOCALLY
Cities, counties, and states across the
country have taken steps to support, adopt
and/or implement CEDAW locally.
Local adoption of CEDAW:
o allows for the development of pro-active
legislation to protect women and girls in
your community
o sends a strong message to your senators
that U.S. ratification is important to their
constituents.
17. Cities for CEDAW Campaign
was launched at the
United Nations
Commission on the Status of Women
in March 2014.
18. Soon Young Yoon is
Korean-American.
She first envisioned a
grassroots movement
for CEDAW
implementation on
the local level.
She is the chair of the
NGO Committee on
the Status of Women,
NY
19. Beginning in 1995,
women’s rights advocates
in the US passed
resolutions endorsing
CEDAW ratification in over
40 municipalities, 20
counties and 15 states.
20. Inspired by the UN 4th World Conference on
Women in Beijing, San Francisco became the 1st
municipality in the world to adopt a local
ordinance reflecting the principles of CEDAW and
they established the Department on the Status of
Women.
21. WHY CITIES?
o As of 2008, 82% of Americans live in
cities.
o By 2050, nearly 80% of the world’s
women and girls will live in urban areas.
o CEDAW provides a framework for
women’s human rights that impacts
women at the grassroots level.
23. LOUISVILLE
CEDAW
COALITION
FOUNDED APRIL 7, 2014
The Louisville CEDAW
Resolution “precedes an
Ordinance that eliminates
discrimination against women
and girls in the city of
Louisville and sends a
statement that we will not
tolerate violence against
women, unequal pay and
uneven academic and
economic opportunities.”
A. Holland Houston
Attorney Member
Louisville CEDAW
24. Authors of The Louisville CEDAW Resolution:
Tina Ward-Pugh, Dolores Delahanty, Victoria Markell
25. • “The Metro Council chambers were packed with
supporters, including members of the Louisville
Coalition for CEDAW, students, teachers and
community leaders. After a lengthy and spirited
debate by the Metro Councilmembers, the
resolution was approved by a 20-3-3 vote.”
Nima Kulkarni
Attorney Member of
Louisville CEDAW
28. COALITION CO-CHAIR:
REV. MARY SUE BARNETT
COALITION CO-CHAIR:
RETIRED
COUNCILWOMAN, TINA
WARD-PUGH
Mary Sue will represent Louisville CEDAW at the 59th UN
Commission on the Status of Women in NYC March 2015. The
title for the NGO parallel event is “How to Join the Cities for
CEDAW Campaign: Practical Strategies from San Francisco,
Louisville, Salt Lake City, North Carolina + a Social Media
Maven!”
What is CEDAW?
CEDAW stands for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
CEDAW is a landmark international agreement that affirms principles of fundamental human rights and equality for women around the world.
CEDAW is the most comprehensive international women right’s treaty.
Around the world, CEDAW has been used to reduce sex trafficking and domestic violence; provide access to education and vocational training; ensure the right to vote; improve basic health care, including maternal health; ensure the ability to work and own a business without discrimination; end forced marriage and child marriage and ensure inheritance rights.
CEDAW offers countries a practical blueprint to achieve progress for women and girls by calling on each ratifying country to overcome barriers to discrimination.
187 out of 194 countries have ratified CEDAW. The US is one of only 7 countries that have not ratified the treaty.
We know that the American public strongly supports the principles and values of education, equality , fairness and basic human rights. But look at the company we are in.
Ratifying the CEDAW treaty is fundamental to America’s national security and economic interests around the world.
CEDAW ratification would continue America’s proud bipartisan tradition of promoting and protecting human rights.
The report demonstrates that empowering women is one of the most effective paths for alleviating poverty and other conditions that contribute to instability, while helping to build stronger democracies. As women gain access to these benefits, their businesses are able to prosper, improving economies and strengthening the global marketplace. The April 2013 Harvard Business Review featured research on the economics of equality, confirming this link between women's rights and economic participation
Example from MEXICO: In response to an epidemic of violence against women, particularly in the Ciudad Juarez area, and under major domestic and international pressure (including pressure from the CEDAW Committee), Mexico is changing its response to violence against women. In2007 Mexico passed the Mexican General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free from Violence, which draws on CEDAW and the Committee’s General Recommendation 19, among other international and regional treaties. By 2009, all of Mexico’s 32 states had adopted the law, making if fully enforceable throughout the country.
CEDAW would provide an opportunity for national dialogue on how to address persistent gaps in women’s full equality, particularly regarding closing the pay gap, reducing domestic violence and stopping trafficking.
Domestic violence: the landmark Violence Against Women Act, has done much to prevent domestic violence and meet the needs of victims, yet two million women a year report injuries from current or former partners in the United States.
Maternal health: the United States ranks 41st among a ranking of 184 countries on maternal deaths during pregnancy and childbirth, below all other industrialized nations and a number of developing countries.
Economic security: U.S. women continue to lag behind men in income, earning on average only 77 cents for every dollar that a man makes.
Human trafficking: the Trafficking Victims Protection Act has played a pivotal role in combating human trafficking. However, estimates suggest that there may be 20,000 women, men, and children trafficked into the U.S. each year
Ratifying CEDAW does not automatically result in changes to U.S. law or additional costs. It is up to each country to determine how to bring its policies in line to eliminate discrimination against women and girls.
And under the leadership of Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, the United States has ratified similar agreements on torture, genocide, and race.
The treaty has been favorably voted out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee twice with bipartisan support (in
1994 and 2002). However, CEDAW has never been brought to the Senate floor for a vote. In 2010, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, chaired by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), held a hearing on CEDAW.
The Obama Administration strongly supports ratification of CEDAW and provided testimony at the Durbin hearing.
In 2011, Senate Foreign Relations subcommittees, chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Robert Casey (D-PA), held a hearing on Women and the Arab Spring, which highlighted how CEDAW has been used in the Middle East and North Africa to advance equality for women and girls.
Senator Durbin’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing in 2010 – and also the Senate passage of another treaty, the START nuclear arms treaty -- has given us needed momentum to move forward.
Senator Boxer plans to hold a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The date has not yet been set.
Senator Durbin, Senator Boxer, and others are championing CEDAW ratification. Now we need other Senators to commit to support CEDAW.
Important to note: The House of Representatives has no formal role in the ratification of treaties.
Support: cities, counties and states have passed local resolutions expressing support for US ratification of CEDAW
Adopt: passing legislation based on the provisions in CEDAW.