Status update: Cities for CEDAW

By Brandy Robinson, Advancing Human Rights Issue Committee

The NGO Committee on the Status of Women and others officially started Cities for CEDAW campaign in 2013. The US is one of few countries not to ratify CEDAW – the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. 

This ambitious campaign’s goal was to seek 100 cities to adopt CEDAW as a local ordinance by December 2015.  Many NGOs and civil societies took on this challenge. With these efforts, cities such as Louisville and other cities adopted CEDAW as local law. Many other cities are in the process of implementing CEDAW as local law. For a complete list of CEDAW cities and those in support of CEDAW, please see the list.

The WILPF US Advancing Human Rights Committee and WILPF US branches also participated in these efforts. Pittsburgh, PA, and Portland, OR, branches have been championing these efforts in their local areas. The Portland Branch helped in co-founding the Oregon CEDAW Coalition with the goal of bringing together local and statewide organizations to advocate and educate Oregon’s public and local and state governmental entities on how CEDAW would be beneficial for Oregon’s economy and overall quality of life for everyone. The Coalition’s efforts resulted in proclamations from Oregon Governor Kate Brown and the cities of Eugene and Portland mayors.

Currently, NGO-CSW will host a CSW60 Cities for CEDAW forum in March 2016 and there will be several other panel events on Cities for CEDAW at CSW60. Due to the overwhelming interest in the Cities for CEDAW campaign, it is encouraged that NGOs and CSOs join into the NGO-CSW’s CSW60 panel events on Cities for CEDAW. Please contact citiesforcedaw@winaction.org, if your NGO or CSO are interested in joining into these panel events.

US Senate Bill 224 Women, Peace and Security Act of 2015

With the recent 15th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 and the recent 1325 Peace Forum in October 2015 and WILPF US significance in helping to bring a voice to the NGO consultation component and the “human security” framework in the US National Action Plan process, WILPF US, its branches and supporters have a great opportunity to get the United States Senate Bill 224 Women, Peace and Security Act of 2015 passed.

Senator Barbara Boxer of California has been a champion for the Women, Peace and Security Act, sponsoring the Women, Peace and Security Act since her 2012 introduction. She has helped in gaining bipartisan support on a hotly debated topic and now has reintroduced this bill. With this year being an election year, it is possible to get this bill the attention it deserves.

What can you do?

There are several things you can do. Pick one, a few or all; whatever the case, you can make this happen!

• Contact or write your representative, senator or relevant stakeholders and tell them you want Senate Bill 224 Women, Peace and Security Act of 2015 passed. Please click here to contact your senator or representative or tell them here.
• Spread the word in your branches and community and explain how the law will create inclusion of women in security and governmental leadership and emphasize that it is needed today more than ever. Here is a Women, Peace and Security Act of 2015 fact sheet from a fellow NGO working on this issue.
• Join WILPF US Advancing Human Rights (AHR) Committee and work on this effort and more, Contact AHR. bln.sf.ca@gmail
• Start a WILPF US delegation to Washington, D.C., give testimony, advocate behalf of on WILPF US  and for the women around the world to make known that women do matter, do your part to make the Women, Peace and Security Act a reality in the U.S.! Interested? Contact the AHR Committee. bln.sf.ca@gmail.

GRAPHIC: Infographic by Brandy Robinson, WILPF US Advancing Human Rights Issue Committee. Status of Women Data 2015 National Report: Political Participation, available at http://statusofwomendata.org/explore-the-data/political-participation/po... for figures by states in the US.