The Treaty for Women’s Equality

CEDAW:

On December 18th,1979, CEDAW was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. It entered into force as an international treaty on September 3rd, 1981 after the 20th country had ratified it.

CEDAW explicitly acknowledges that extensive discrimination against women continues to exist and emphasizes that such discrimination violates the principles of equality of rights and respect for human dignity.

CEDAW is an

aspirational document

and a practical blueprint

for each country to

achieve progress for

women and girls.

How CEDAW Works

South Sudan

CEDAW will strengthen the United States as a global leader

in standing up for equality for

women and girls.

The U.S. Should Ratify CEDAW Now

CEDAW has Improved Women’s Lives on the Ground

• In ratifying countries, women have partnered with their governments to change their laws and policies, creating greater safety and opportunity for women and their families

“CEDAW has improved women’s literacy levels, labor force participation rates, and parliamentary

representation – and in some cases has reduced absolute gender inequalities.”

-World Bank Report, 2012

CEDAW PROMOTES THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE U.S

While American women enjoy opportunities and status not available to most around the world, few would dispute that more progress is needed

CEDAW WOULD PROVIDE AN

EFFECTIVE CATALYST FOR CHANGE IN THE

U.S.CEDAW would provide an opportunity for

national dialogue on persistent inequalities in the U.S.

Each country determines how to bring its policies in line to eliminate discrimination

against women and girls.

U.S. Human Rights Record

RATIFIED BY THE U.S.International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)

Convention Against Torture (CAT)

Convention Against Genocide (CAG)

NOT RATIFIED BY THE U.S.

•International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR)•Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)•Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)•Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

The United States

Journey to Ratify CEDAW

CEDAW’S History in the U.S.

On Tuesday, June 24th, 2014 a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer held a hearing, featuring testimony by an unprecedented number of women senators, who called for action on CEDAW to stem the tide of violence against women and girls across the globe.

Senate Hearing Reignites Hope For CEDAW and I-VAWA

SUPPORTING CEDAW LOCALLY

Cities, counties, and states across the country have taken steps to support, adopt and/or implement CEDAW locally.

Local adoption of CEDAW:o allows for the development of pro-active

legislation to protect women and girls in your community

o sends a strong message to your senators that U.S. ratification is important to their constituents.

Cities for CEDAW Campaign

was launched at the

United Nations

Commission on the Status of Women

in March 2014.

Soon Young Yoon is Korean-American.

She first envisioned a grassroots movement for CEDAW implementation on the local level.

She is the Chair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York

Beginning in 1995, women’s rights advocates

in the Us passed resolutions endorsing

CEDAW ratification in over 40 municipalities, 20

counties and 15 states.

Inspired by the 1995 UN 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, San Francisco became the 1st municipality in the world to adopt a local ordinance reflecting the principles of CEDAW and they established the Department on the Status of Women.

San Francisco is the only U.S. city to date that has passed a CEDAW Ordinance.

WHY CITIES?o As of 2008, 82% of Americans live in

cities.

o By 2050, nearly 80% of the world’s women and girls will live in urban areas.

oCEDAW provides a framework for women’s human rights that impacts women at the grassroots level.

LOUISVILLE CEDAW COALITION

FOUNDED APRIL 7, 2014

The Louisville CEDAW Resolution “precedes an Ordinance that eliminates discrimination against women and girls in the city of Louisville and sends a statement that we will not tolerate violence against women, unequal pay and uneven academic and economic opportunities.” A. Holland HoustonAttorney at Law

A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING CITIES FOR CEDAW INITIATIVE BY THE

LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL AND SUPPORT OF INDIVIDUAL CITIES PASSING

RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES TO IMPLEMENT THE PRINCIPLES OF THE

UN CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

SPONSOR: Councilwoman Tina Ward-Pugh

WHEREAS, The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against

Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18 1979, became an international treaty as of September 3, 1981, and 187 UN member nations, have agreed to be bound by CEDAW’s provisions; and

WHEREAS, Although women have made gains in the struggle for equality in many fields, much more needs to be accomplished to fully eradicate discrimination based on gender and to achieve one of the most basic human rights, equality; and

WHEREAS, Louisville, Kentucky, is the largest International Compassionate City in the USA, and with knowledge that girls and women make up 52% of Louisville Metro’s population, and with a desire to ensure these women and girls who live in Louisville Metro enjoy all the rights and privileges and remedies that are bestowed on all people in the US, no matter race, national origin, gender or religious belief, and with a purpose to claim worldwide that Louisville, Kentucky is a city within which women can thrive and a city that will not tolerate discrimination against women and girls or violence perpetrated against them in any form, by any hand; and

WHEREAS, CEDAW provides a comprehensive framework for governments to examine their policies and practices in relation to women and girls and to rectify discrimination based on gender; and

WHEREAS, City and County governments have an appropriate and legitimate role affirming the importance of eliminating all forms of discrimination against women in communities as universal norms and to serve as guides for public policy; and

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE

LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT (THE COUNCIL) AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION I. Louisville Metro Government is committed to eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, to promoting the health and safety of women and girls, and to affording them equal academic, economic and business opportunities in Louisville, Kentucky.

SECTION II. A resolution is the first step toward adopting a future ordinance that would call for: a gender analysis of all Louisville Metro departments and commissions; the designation of an oversight body; and resources to support these actions.

Resolution Authors: Tina Ward-Pugh, Victoria Markell,Delores Delahanty.

Chair of Louisville CEDAW Coalition Rev. Mary Sue Barnett

Slide Show assembled by: Anja Arsenovic, M.S. Barnett

Join us! Go to:

www.CEDAW2014.org