Melanne Verveer: “It is time that violence against women became a concern for all of us.”

During the revolutions, women in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya were on the front lines for freedom, dignity, democracy, and economic opportunity.

I believe that many women woke up with the Arab Spring, and they will not go back to sleep.

These values are strongly supported by the American public, and U.S. law, as I believe all have said, is consistent with the principles set out in CEDAW.

It is a powerful tool, and I hope that the United States can finally put it in our human rights arsenal as well.