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All over the world, women are being discriminated against, abused and violated in the most egregious ways. Girls have acid thrown at their faces for committing the crime of seeking an education. Women are gang raped, while their government turns a blind eye. Girls are sold into sexual slavery by families that consider them expendable. Men kill family members who are rape victims as a way to restore "honor" to their families. Girls are subjected to sexual mutilation in order to make them acceptable for marriage. Women are stoned for sexual crimes for which men receive no punishment. Women receive less money than men for doing the same work. They are denied birth control and proper medical care. And the examples go on and on...
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has asked JAC to take the lead in gathering support for a measure that is a necessary step in stopping these abuses: US ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Democracy and Human Rights, Senator Boxer is well positioned to address human rights violations against women. Once the US ratifies the treaty, she will have the official validation to do so.
CEDAW has encouraged the development of citizenship rights in Botswana and Japan, inheritance rights in Tanzania, and property rights and political participation in Costa Rica. CEDAW has fostered development of domestic violence laws in Turkey, Nepal, South Africa, and the Republic of Korea and anti-trafficking laws in Ukraine and Moldova. These are just a few examples of the benefits of CEDAW.
The United States is the only country in the Western Hemisphere and the only industrialized democracy that has not ratified this treaty. Ratification has been blocked by pressure from groups that claim -- erroneously -- this treaty will promote abortion, "radical feminist agendas," and give too much power to the international community to supersede U.S. federal and state law. In fact, if ratified in the US, CEDAW would help efforts to enhance U.S. laws with respect to violence against women, access to legal protections, and other human rights.
The first step toward improving the condition of so many imperiled women is to get this treaty signed. Only then can we bring American influence to bear on countries and international organizations that receive US support.
Like so many individuals and organizations, JAC has been seriously affected by the economic downturn. Yet we could not ignore this call to action. If you can, please support this advocacy project. Donations will go toward building a coalition and doing the necessary advocacy, including an online campaign to get this treaty passed.
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