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Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

 

The CEDAW treaty for the rights of women, formally known as the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, provides a universal standard for women’s human rights. It addresses discrimination in areas such as education, employment, marriage and family relations, and health care.

The treaty was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. As of March, 2010, 186 countries have ratified the Treaty for the Rights of Women. Only seven countries have not ratified it: Sudan, Somalia, Iran, the United States, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga.

For decades, the Baha'is of the United States have worked with a large network of nongovernmental organizations to advance the status of women by advocating policies and legislation, including CEDAW, that promote gender equality. To learn more, please visit http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/ or http://www.cedaw2010.org

How to help: Individual Baha'is in the United States are encouraged to urge further congressional support of CEDAW by writing to their senators and representatives. Find your member of Congress, or learn more about what you can do to help advocate for U.S. ratification of this important treaty for the rights of women worldwide.

 

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