Sean Patrick Maloney: “it is time that the U.S. ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or…”

“it is time that the U.S. ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or CEDAW. The treaty has been in force since 1981 and has been ratified by 185 countries; 185 countries cannot be wrong, and they include such countries as Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The U.S. stands out as the only Western country that has not ratified the treaty and, in doing so, keeps company with Iran, Sudan, and Somalia. Women continue to be subjected to severe human rights violations simply because of their gender. Women in many parts of the world are unable to receive a basic education, earn a living, own or inherent property, or protect themselves against HIV/AIDS. Violence against women continues to be a terrible problem in all corners of the globe. In the Mexican cities of Juarez and Chihuahua, over 400 women have been killed since 1993. In Guatemala over 2,500 women and girls have been murdered since 2001. Women are still stoned to death and killed by members of their family in the name of honor. In 2002 at least 270 women were murdered in "honor killings" in the Punjab Province of Pakistan alone. Domestic violence continues to hurt and kill women at alarming rates. In Russia 70 percent of married women have been hurt in one form or another of violence from their husbands. CEDAW is an important tool in combating discrimination and human rights abuses against women around the world.”