Can a Women's Rights Treaty Make any Difference?

Earlier this week, President-elect Obama made a commitment to push for Senate ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This treaty has been signed by several Presidents (including President Jimmy Carter in 1980) but has never reached the Senate floor. That’s a 20 year denial of women’s rights.  The United States bears the shame of being the only industrialized country which has not ratified it.

The question is, would ratifying an international treaty make any difference?  The answer is yes, CEDAW is important!  The treaty has been a vital tool for women’s rights activists in countries which have ratified it to demand their rights be enshrined in law.  It has been used to develop citizenship rights in Botswana and Japan, property rights and political participation in Costa Rica and to develop domestic violence laws in Turkey, Nepal, South Africa, and the Republic of Korea.

Arialle Crabtree demands support for Women's Rights!

Arialle Crabtree demands support for Women

Critics of the treaty say that women’s rights in the United States are enshrined in the constitution and therefore ratification is not necessary for women here.  I disagree, there are all too many women in the US whose rights are abused.  Furthermore, by not ratifing CEDAW, the US loses all credibility in demanding that women’s rights overseas be respected.  President-elect Obama has clearly recognised the value of this women’s rights treaty, both as a commitment to respecting the rights of women in the US and as a pledge to reinforce any diplomatic efforts to end abuses against women around the world.  I can’t help wondering if maybe it was the President-elect’s mother’s interest in international women’s issues that inspired him.  Whatever the reason, I hope he continues to be inspired to defend women’s rights throughout his Presidency. 

 

AIUSA welcomes a lively and courteous discussion that follow our Community Guidelines. Comments are not pre-screened before they post but AIUSA reserves the right to remove any comments violating our guidelines.

7 thoughts on “Can a Women's Rights Treaty Make any Difference?

  1. What about men's rights? Men are routinely discriminated against in military conscription, child custody, criminal justice, inmate parenting programs, domestic violence and rape policies, forced labor, health policies, government benefits, and more. It is sex discrimination and a hypocritical double standard to address sex discrimination as only being against women but not also against men.

  2. What about men’s rights? Men are routinely discriminated against in military conscription, child custody, criminal justice, inmate parenting programs, domestic violence and rape policies, forced labor, health policies, government benefits, and more. It is sex discrimination and a hypocritical double standard to address sex discrimination as only being against women but not also against men.

  3. Well why not take a closer look at the ICPD and CEDAW, their supposed defense of women's human and reproductive rights and then ask yourself if such treaties have moderated or prevented the appalling issue of forced sterilisation of Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur women. Meanhwile this issue continues to be ignored by the massed ranks of family-planning supporters and women's organisations. More at:
    http://tibettruth.wordpress.com/unfpa-all-talk-an

  4. Well why not take a closer look at the ICPD and CEDAW, their supposed defense of women's human and reproductive rights and then ask yourself if such treaties have moderated or prevented the appalling issue of forced sterilisation of Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur women. Meanhwile this issue continues to be ignored by the massed ranks of family-planning supporters and women's organisations. More at:
    http://tibettruth.wordpress.com/unfpa-all-talk-an

  5. Well why not take a closer look at the ICPD and CEDAW, their supposed defense of women's human and reproductive rights and then ask yourself if such treaties have moderated or prevented the appalling issue of forced sterilisation of Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur women. Meanhwile this issue continues to be ignored by the massed ranks of family-planning supporters and women's organisations. More at:
    http://tibettruth.wordpress.com/unfpa-all-talk-an

  6. Well why not take a closer look at the ICPD and CEDAW, their supposed defense of women’s human and reproductive rights and then ask yourself if such treaties have moderated or prevented the appalling issue of forced sterilisation of Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur women. Meanhwile this issue continues to be ignored by the massed ranks of family-planning supporters and women’s organisations. More at:

    http://tibettruth.wordpress.com/unfpa-all-talk-and-no-principles/

Comments are closed.