What is the Treaty for the Rights of Women?
The Treaty for the Rights of Women is the most complete international agreement on basic human rights for women. The Treaty is officially known as the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. As of March 1, 2007, 185 countries have ratified the Treaty for the Rights of Women.
The Treaty for the Rights of Women addresses basic human rights of women. It
can be a useful tool to reduce violence and discrimination against women and
girls, ensure girls and women receive the same access as boys and men to education
and health care, and secure basic legal recourse to women and girls against
violations and abuses of their human rights.
Women around the world have used the Treaty to achieve important reforms in
their country that reduce violence and discrimination. Measures have been taken
against sex slavery, domestic violence and trafficking of women; millions of
girls are now receiving primary education that were previously denied access;
women's health care services have improved, saving lives during pregnancy and
childbirth; and millions of women have secured essential loans and the basic
right to own or inherit property.
Treaty ratification commits nations to take concrete action to improve the
status of women and to reverse discrimination and end violence against women
in their own country and around the world. For example, ratifying countries
commit to:
- Take measures to ensure women can enjoy basic human rights and fundamental
freedoms.
- Establish judicial procedures to ensure the effective protection of the rights
of women.
- Take appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women by persons,
organizations or enterprises.
- Submit national reports every four years on measures they have taken to comply
with the treaty to protect and promote the rights of women in their country.
The Treaty has always enjoyed bipartisan support in the U.S., but has never come before the full Senate for a vote. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has twice voted favorably – in 1994 and 2002 – with bipartisan support to send the Treaty to the Senate floor for ratification, but the Senate recessed each time before that occurred. The current Committee Chairman, Senator Joseph Biden, supports ratification. It is time for Senators to stand together in support of women and ratify CEDAW.
In 2002, the Bush Administration notified the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Treaty for the Rights of Women was "generally desirable and should be approved." Later that year, then Attorney General John Ashcroft initiated another review of this Treaty. In February 2007, the Bush Administration indicated that it was not pressing for ratification at this time. The SFRC Chairman, Senator Joseph Biden, supports ratification. It is time for Senators to stand together in support of women and ratify CEDAW.
Ratifying the Treaty is an important tool for building partnerships among nations
to end human rights abuses and promote the health and well being of women and
girls around the world. As women in the United States take on greater leadership
roles and participate in record numbers in local and national elections, it
is time for the U.S. government to show the international community that it
stands unequivocally for the rights of women internationally by ratifying this
Treaty.
