The Global Gag Rule, from the Perspective of the Women’s Movement in Peru
U.S. Foreign Policy at the United Nations
U.S. Support for Reproductive Rights Abroad
Treaty for the Rights of Women (CEDAW)
Myths and Realities: Debunking USAID’s Analysis of the Global Gag Rule
The Global Gag Rule: Current Information
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CEDAW - Treaty for the Rights of Women

SENATE COMMITTEE SUPPORTS RATIFYING CEDAW

On July 30, 2002 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in favor of ratifying the Treaty for the Rights of Women (CEDAW).

In a 12-7 vote, the Senate committee sent CEDAW to the full Senate. Senate approval requires a two-thirds vote, or 67 senators. All 10 of the committee's Democrats voted to approve the treaty, as did Republicans Gordon Smith of Oregon and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.

CEDAW is the only international treaty that focuses exclusively on protecting women against discrimination. One hundred and seventy countries have ratified the treaty, including all industrialized countries except the U.S.

President Jimmy Carter signed CEDAW in 1980 and sent it to the Senate for ratification, but the Senate never approved the treaty.

On February 2, 2005, Lynn Woolsey introduced H. Res. 67, encouraging the Senate to ratify CEDAW. The resolution currently has 95 co-sponsors in addition to Rep. Woolsey. This introduction marks the fifth time members of the House of introduced legislation to urge the Senate to ratify CEDAW.

The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is the only comprehensive international treaty guaranteeing women’s human rights and the prevention of discrimination against women. CEDAW provides a universal international standard for women’s human rights — a framework for governmental policy to combat gender inequality.

The U.S. stands out as the only industrialized nation that has failed to ratify CEDAW. In 1995, the U.S. made a public commitment at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China to ratify CEDAW by the year 2000. The U.S. must live up to that commitment.

Factsheet: CEDAW: The Importance of U.S. Ratification

Reproductive Freedom News: September 2002 - CEDAW: One Step Closer to U.S. Ratification

April 2002 - Women's Rights Treaty Gains Momentum

Letters to Congress in Support of CEDAW:

CEDAW Human Rights for All Booklet
(A Publication of the CEDAW Working Group): www.abanet.org/irr/cedaw/cedaw.pdf (PDF)

For Further Information: