Urge Your Senators to Stand Up for Women and Girls

For the first time in eight years, the Senate will hold a hearing today on the importance of ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This treaty is described as an international bills of rights for women by defining what constitutes discrimination against women and setting up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. By ratifying the treaty, the US would be committing to undertake a series of measurers to end discrimination against women in all forms including:

• to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women;
• to establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and
• to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organizations or enterprises.

Worldwide, women are struggling to secure equality and to achieve their full human rights. As the landmark international agreement for human rights and women's equality, CEDAW holds up a blueprint that decision-makers in every country can use to measure their progress for women and girls. Where CEDAW has been ratified, women's groups have used the treaty to encourage their governments to change discriminatory laws and policies.

The treaty has been ratified by 186 of the 193 member nations of the United Nations. It’s now time for the US to join those who have already ratified the treaty.

Please contact your Senators today and urge them to support this treaty. To watch the hearing online today at 2:00, click here.

Image courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Capitol-Senate.JPG