Have you ever thought about what human rights are?  Or about who gets to define those rights?  Thinking about questions such as these can open the floodgates to more pressing questions and deeper emotions.  If individual people or governments don’t have the right to deny women the human rights that are due to them, then why should they have the authority to look past legislation that will pave the way to improved conditions for the all women?  These questions and others like them are the ones surrounding the discussions of C.E.D.A.W., The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. 

This document, sometimes termed the "international bill of rights for women," succinctly defines what exactly discrimination towards women is.  Eliminating any doubt about whether or not an action is discriminatory or not is an important first step in quelling discriminatory acts all together.  In addition to providing a definition of discrimination, the bill also outlines several different methods for countries to adopt to combat the ill treatment of women.  The standards put forth in this treaty offer benchmarks for ratifying countries to meet and report back to the United Nations on regular intervals. 

In ratifying the treaty, countries agree to take tangible action toward the betterment of women’s issues, human issues.  Entering into this treaty, countries are making a visible shift towards improved conditions for women.  Simply by ratifying C.E.D.A.W., countries show their citizens that they are committed to the fair and equal treatment of women in their own country and abroad.  Ratifying countries are required to work to make changes within their own countries and make reports to the United Nations every four years regarding the progress of their actions.  This system sets up a network of accountability on an international level.  Countries become responsible not only to themselves and their constituents, but also to the other ratifying countries. 

Currently, 186 countries have ratified C.E.D.A.W., leaving only seven countries that have not.  Among these seven countries are Sudan, Somalia, Iran, and the United States.  It may come as a surprise that a country seen as a worldwide leader in many fields, including human rights, would be found in this group of countries who have yet to ratify.  Since the United States has not yet ratified this important bill, the U.S. does not have the same sort of credibility or authority to speak out on issues of women’s rights. In fact, ratifying countries can even reject statements from the United States regarding these issues. Some may even view this failure to ratify by the United States as a step backwards in the progress made towards women’s and human rights, undermining the leadership position commonly thought to be held by the U.S.

C.E.D.A.W. is capable of surmounting barriers of geographical location, language, race, and culture to reach the very heart of women’s issues.  Entering into this treaty of trust, communication, and responsibility means agreeing to take steps that are not always easy, but that will ultimately pave the way to progress.

We invite you to learn more and engage your community in questions of women's rights as human rights. Engage your local UN Association in to find out how you can urge the U.S. Mission to ratify CEDAW and enter into relationships of global accountability with regard to women's rights.
http://www.womenstreaty.org/
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/

Alexandra Connors, Diocese of West Missouri

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