Mission Update
Looking for Victory Number Two on the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
In 1998 at the United Methodist Women’s Assembly in Orlando, almost 10,000 women wrote personal letters to Congressional leaders asking them to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women – also known as an international bill of rights for women.
Four years later, on July 30, the first victory for United Methodist Women happened. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 12 to 9 to allow the convention to go before the whole Senate for a vote. That’s victory number one for United Methodist Women and women’s rights advocates! It’s been a long battle.
Women fighting for rights around the world have come under public scrutiny with media coverage about the oppression of women under the Taliban, female genital mutilation, women’s vulnerability to AIDS in Africa. Yet, the United States has been the only country in the Western Hemisphere that has refused to ratify the convention, which enables women to stand behind an international law and challenge abuses against their gender.
On June 13 of this year, Representative Lynn Woolsey spoke up about the groundswell of support from local governments and grassroots organizations at Senate Committee hearings.
"CEDAW supporters, including Church Women United and the United Methodist Women, delivered more than 10,000 individually hand-written letters to Senators urging ratification of the treaty. That’s 10,000! Needless to say, this has been a long battle for CEDAW supporters."
Now, United Methodist Women are looking for Victory Number Two! Begin calling your U.S. Senators and asking them to ratify the Convention the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women! It will come before the Senate this fall.
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