There is much to celebrate during this Women’s History Month. Milestones of change and transformation have occurred throughout the world since the first International Women’s Day in 1911, however, greater progress is needed in three core areas: economics, education and violence against women.
In addition to supporting the democratic process of countries, the United States government must also support policies that address the areas in which women are being shortchanged. Looking forward, two such opportunities exist: ratifying the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and affirming commitment to gender equality in United Nations processes such as the review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)and the Beijing Platform for Action.
In 1979, the U.N. General Assembly adopted (CEDAW), an international bill of rights for women. The document defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for global action to end such discrimination. At the time of CEDAW’s 30th anniversary last December at the U.N., CEDAW had been ratified by 186 countries, but the U.S. was not one of them.
Member and Partner Organization Highlights
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
Women's Environment & Development Organization (WEDO)
