Hillary Clinton on Ending Gender Discrimination through Public Policy

Emily Martin, of the National Women's Law Center, said it best:  One of the distinguishing features of American foreign policy is its claim of moral authority in the field of human rights. Our politicians regularly cite America as a beacon of freedom and as a champion of the cause of human dignity across the globe. Yet, in at least one important instance, America lags behind.  It has yet to ratify a treaty, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women aka: CEDAW.

It was drafted in 1979 to help curb worldwide gender discrimination.  Countries that ratify the agreement agree to take "all appropriate measures" to ensure that women receive equal and fair treatment.  Yet the United States remains the only industrialized democracy NOT to have ratified it, alongside with Iran, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and 2 Pacific Islands.

President Obama supports CEDAW, always has, and last week a coalition of more than 100 organizations joined with CWA in co-signing a letter urging the US Senate to ratify the treaty in the 113th Congress.  The President has identified CEDAW as a multilateral treaty priority and Hillary Clinton has spoken out strongly in favor of it as well (see the video). 

Partisan politics have no place in gender discrimination.  Urge your Senator to ratify CEDAW now.  We've waited long enough.