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Seoul, South Korea
Friday, September 15, 2007
Dear Action List Archives,
Do women deserve full "human rights"? The U.S. Senate isn't sure. That's why I'm writing to you from the World Women's Conference in Seoul, where I have been meeting and collaborating with women's rights activists around the globe. I simply have to share with you what an embarrassing experience this has been. Oh, my speech was well-received, but over and over women stop me to ask, "Why has the United States refused to ratify CEDAW? It's really hurting our efforts to work for women in our country."
CEDAW, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, is a treaty that has languished in the U.S. Senate for 27 years. The title says it all. The treaty is comprehensive, and includes everything from rape and domestic violence to child marriage to equal pay and child care.
It's really very simple: It's about believing that equal rights for women ARE human rights and about treating women as full and equal human beings.
The National Organization for Women and allied groups are renewing our efforts to force a vote on CEDAW. Please write to or call your Senators today. Join us in Washington for CEDAW lobby days on September 24-28.
The policies of the U.S. government have tremendous impact - for good or ill - on the lives of women around the world. CEDAW is a perfect example - our failure to ratify is thrown in the face of feminist activists in other countries who want to use the treaty to force reform of their own governmental policies.
We need your action and your support to educate a whole new generation of women about CEDAW's potential for positive change for women here and around the world.
CEDAW was signed by President Jimmy Carter - don't you think it's time for the Senate to step up to the plate? Join NOW's efforts to push CEDAW to the front of the Foreign Relations Committee's agenda and schedule a floor vote. Take action today.
I don't ever again want to hear that the United States is damaging the efforts of women around the world by failing to acknowledge women's basic human rights.
For equality and justice,
Kim Gandy
President, National Organization for Women
Learn more about CEDAW and what you can do to help.
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