If you are interested in promoting women’s rights, please join the effort to urge members of the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate to pass the CEDAW treaty out of committee to have a full vote of the Senate.

A Brief History

The CEDAW (Convention to End Discrimination Against Women) treaty has been called the “Bill of Rights” for women. It represents the culmination of over thirty years of work of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. It was originally passed by the UN General Assembly on Dec 18, 1979. President Jimmy Carter signed the treaty in July 1980. Formal Senate hearings have been held in 1988, 1990,1994 and most recently in 2002. Since that time, the treaty has languished in the Foreign Relations Committee.

Some 185 countries have approved this treaty. The United States remains one of the few countries, along with Iran, Somalia, Susan and Qatar, that has not signed it.

What to say to a Senator?

Just send a short message urging passage of the CEDAW treaty. A suggested note might read something like the following:

As an American woman living overseas, I am urging you and your fellow members of the Foreign Relations Committee to approve the CEDAW treaty for women’s rights. It is high time the United States joined the 185 other countries of the world that have stood up for ending discrimination against women.

Note --Personalizing your message will usually give more weight to your letter as Senators do not put much stock in form letters which all have the same message.

How to Send Your Message

Letters to government officials are now carefully screened, thus often delayed.

Emails are easy to send, but one never knows if they are really read, hence a phone call or fax are now the best ways to contact any Senator or government official.

More Information?

For a summary of the text and more information about this treaty, please check out www.womenstreaty.org