Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW)
December 18, 2001 marks the
22nd anniversary of the United Nations unanimous adoption of Convention on the
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This treaty provides a universal standard for
women’s human rights. It addresses areas
of discrimination in areas such as education, employment, marriage and family relations,
health care and reproductive health, politics, finance and law. To date, 168 countries in the world have ratified
CEDAW. The United States is the only
industrialized nation that has failed to do so and as such is in the company of countries
such as Iran and Afghanistan.
In the U.S., a CEDAW
Ratification Working Group has written an open sign-on letter to the Senate urging the
immediate ratification of CEDAW. This letter will be sent on December 6, 2001 in order to
link it to the International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2001. To endorse this letter organizationally or to
receive a copy of this letter, click here:
To receive more information
on how to get involved in CEDAW campaign, click here:
International Gender and Trade: Women's Voice in the
Trade Debate
Questions of gender are new
in trade discussions, however the current trade debate is of great concern to women's
lives. Women have been critical of the current model of trade and investment since the
inception of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995 (the same year as the World
Conference on Women in Beijing), and even
earlier with the formation of regional trading blocs such as North America Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA).
Why?
Trade and investment
policies are being formulated without the analysis and input from civil society, including
women’s groups. The majority of people in the world are not benefiting from the
current model. Although economists have stated that trade is gender neutral, women and men
are impacted differently due to their status in society, their roles within the family and
within the community. Trade and investment
policies affect women’s access to health care, education, water, food, a decent wage,
the right to collectively bargain, and the right to the full realization of their human
rights. Women are being affected in developing countries and they are being affected here
in the United States.
An international network
entitled The International Gender and Trade Network (IGTN) has recently formed. It is organized in seven regions of the world
– Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Pacific. Throughout the network, women are
developing strategies to expand research, advocacy and trade literacy in order to take
control over their lives and ensure that trade is working for the common good and not a
select few. This global campaign on gender and trade is central to women’s economic
and social rights.
To receive regular
updates and get involved in the global campaign, contact the IGTN Secretariat at: secretariat@coc.org. and request to be added to
their informational list. To learn about the
history of the network, the regional work to date and the different trade agreements, click here.
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