Commission Approves CEDAW Protocol
The U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) guarantees women equal rights to
work, pay, benefits and safe working conditions free from sexual
harassment. The treaty also prohibits discrimination against women in
political activities and requires a minimum age for marriage.
On Friday, the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women unanimously
approved an optional protocol to the treaty which would allow women, as
individuals or in groups, to submit complaints concerning violations of
the treaty directly to the U.N. Patricia Flor, chair of the Commission
on the Status of Women, commented,"This is a major success for women
around the world. They will finally be able to take their complaints and
grievances to the U.N. in case they cannot get remedies within their own
local judicial system."
Flor expects that the protocol will be adopted by the U.N.'s
General Assembly sometime this year. The treaty, which has already been
signed by 163 member states, must then be ratified by ten more countries
before it can be enacted.
The United States has yet to sign onto CEDAW. Many women's rights
advocates within the U.N. hope to see the treaty ratified as quickly as
possible and predict its approval later this year or by early 2000.
[Source: AP - March 16, 1999]
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/newsnow.html
The CEDAW was ratified nearly 20 years ago. This new protocol and text
of the CEDAW can be found at United Nations Commission on the Status of
Women at http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/protocol/adopted.htm
Sharon Hushka
sharynh@earthlink.net
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