Treaty for the Rights of Women

Support the Treaty for the Rights of Women!

It is time for the U.S. government to show the international community that it stands unequivocally for the rights of women internationally and to ratify the Treaty for the Rights of Women.

Call your Senator today and ask them to actively support treaty ratification.

Here are suggested points to make when you call and/or write:

I urge you to support the Treaty for the Rights of Women and work toward full Senate ratification.

The Treaty for the Rights of Women addresses basic human rights of women. It can be an effective tool in reducing violence and discrimination against women and girls, ensuring girls and women receive the same access as boys and men to education and health care, and securing basic legal recourse to women and girls against violations and abuses of their human rights.

As the leading superpower, U.S. ratification would lend weight to the Treaty and provide valuable support to women seeking reforms in countries around the world. Without the United States as a party to the Treaty, repressive governments can easily discount the Treaty’s provisions.

The United States played an important role in drafting this Treaty, which 186 nations have ratified. But our country is now 1 of 7 that have yet to ratify the Treaty, alongside Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Nauru, Palau and Tonga.

November 22, 2009

Subject:

Dear Senator:

As your constituent, and a strong believer in advancing women’s rights around the world, I urge you to support U.S. ratification of the Treaty for the Rights of Women (officially the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, or CEDAW). 186 nations have already ratified this important treaty, leaving the US as 1 of 7 countries yet to ratify CEDAW, along side Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Nauru, Palau and Tonga. The ratification of CEDAW by the United States Senate would serve as a powerful tool in fighting violence and discrimination against women both at home and abroad. Around the world, millions of women are abused each year, often in countries where they face discriminatory laws preventing them from seeking meaningful legal recourse against such violence. In the United States alone, a woman is raped every 6 minutes and battered every 9 seconds. The Treaty for the Rights of Women can significantly help reduce violence against women and other abuses of women’s human rights by providing equal protection before the law and ensuring access to education and health care. The United States should be consistent in its leadership and should proudly stand at the forefront of human rights around world. I appeal to you to join in the chorus of the international community by inserting a statement in the Congressional Record expressing your steadfast support of women’s human rights and specifically calling for U.S. ratification of the Treaty for the Rights of Women. Sincerely,
We will add your signature from the information you provide.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email*

Street*

Street 2

City*

State/Province*

Zip/Postal Code*

Send an Email