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Sunday March 8 was International Women’s Day, a day of reflection, recognition and solidarity for all of the world’s women.

Every year, this day falls during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which is now meeting at the United Nations (March 1-13). CSW was established in 1946 and is dedicated to gender equality and the advancement of women.

Among its activities, the CSW drafted several conventions and declarations, including the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1967. The convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979 and was put into practice in September 1981.

CEDAW, the international treaty on women’s rights, now ratified by 185 countries:

Stands as the only comprehensive international treaty guaranteeing women’s human rights and the prevention of discrimination against women.
Provides a universal international standard for women’s human rights — a framework for governmental policy to combat gender inequality.
Constitutes a declaration with a scope that is wide-ranging, addressing discrimination in areas such as education, employment, health care, marriage and family relations, politics, finance, and law.¹

The U.S. stands out as the only industrialized nation that has failed to ratify CEDAW, although it is a signatory. By this omission, the United States has become one of a small group of nations, such as the Iran, Somalia and Sudan where violations of women’s human rights are particularly rampant.²

Since CEDAW was signed by President Carter 30 years ago, the Senate has taken no action other than to redraft CEDAW with a number of modifications (such as abortion-neutral language). CEDAW now needs to be sent back to the Senate by the Department of State with a request for expedited ratification. It is very important that it be sent back in its original form without Reservations, Understandings and Declarations. CEDAW represents the consensus of civilized nations with regard to women’s rights, and the United States should finally endorse it.

Let us ask the United States Government to fully support women’s human rights as part of the community of nations. CLICK HERE to fight for women’s equality by joining the U.S. CEDAW ratification movement and sending a letter to Secretary of State Clinton.

¹ http://www.reproderechos.org/pub_fac_cedaw.html
² Ibid

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