[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 38 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 38

 Urging the President to complete the review of the Convention on the 
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in order that 
      the Senate may give its advice and consent to ratification.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 21, 1993

  Ms. Woolsey (for herself and Mr. Hamilton) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Urging the President to complete the review of the Convention on the 
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in order that 
      the Senate may give its advice and consent to ratification.

Whereas the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against 
        Women (hereafter referred to as the ``Women's Human Rights Convention'') 
        seeks to advance the status of women worldwide for the purpose of 
        guaranteeing the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women on a 
        basis of equality with men in all respects: political, civil, social, 
        cultural, and economic;
Whereas the Women's Human Rights Convention was adopted by the United Nations 
        General Assembly on December 18, 1979;
Whereas the United States was an active participant in drafting the Women's 
        Human Rights Convention and signed the Convention on July 17, 1980;
Whereas on November 12, 1980, the President transmitted the Women's Human Rights 
        Convention to the Senate, but at that time did not submit the necessary 
        reservations, understandings, and declarations required for Senate 
        advice and consent to ratification;
Whereas over 100 nations have ratified and acceded to the Women's Human Rights 
        Convention;
Whereas there is a continuing gap between the status and rights of women and 
        men, and there is still no nation in the world where this gap has been 
        eliminated in all major fields of activity;
Whereas the Women's Human Rights Convention calls on nations which are parties 
        to the convention to take all appropriate measures to ensure women, on 
        an equal basis with men, access to education, economic opportunities, 
        legal protection, representation in government, and health care;
Whereas two-thirds of the world's illiterates are women;
Whereas women produce more than half of the food in developing countries, as 
        much as 80 percent of the food produced in Africa, and perform two-
        thirds of the world's work hours, yet receive only 10 percent of the 
        world's income and own less than 1 percent of the world's property;
Whereas worldwide, including in the United States, women earn only two-thirds as 
        much as their male counterparts, contributing to the growing 
        feminization of poverty;
Whereas as a result of unequal economic opportunities women are the growing 
        majority at the poverty level worldwide, and approximately 78 percent of 
        all people living in poverty in the United States are women and their 
        children;
Whereas in many nations women do not have the same legal or constitutional 
        rights as men, particularly regarding family law--marriage, inheritance, 
        property rights, divorce, alimony, and child support;
Whereas enactment of laws ensuring the rights and fundamental freedoms of women 
        are ineffectual unless governments are willing to enforce them;
Whereas in most countries women attained the right to vote only in the last 35-
        45 years, and in some countries women still do not have the right to 
        vote;
Whereas only approximately 10 percent of the representatives in the world's 
        parliaments are women;
Whereas childbearing carries the highest risk of death for women of reproductive 
        age in the developing world, resulting in approximately 500,000 deaths 
        each year, the majority of which could be prevented with adequate health 
        care;
Whereas the Women's Human Rights Convention calls on nations which are parties 
        to the convention to take measures to modify the social and cultural 
        practices of men and women with a view to eliminating prejudices and 
        practices which are based on the belief of the inferiority or 
        superiority of either of the sexes;
Whereas violence against women is the extreme expression of the belief in 
        women's inferiority and occurs in all cultures and countries;
Whereas there is a high degree of official and social tolerance of violence 
        against women, and family violence is the most prevalent form of 
        violence against women;
Whereas trafficking and slavery of women and female children for the sex trade 
        and as forced labor takes place in many regions of the world and is a 
        result of the subjugation of women;
Whereas preference for sons results in the severe neglect of daughters with 
        respect to food, medical care, and education, and as a consequence girls 
        aged two to four die at twice the rate of boys in some regions, female 
        infanticide is practiced, and worldwide female children are three times 
        more likely to suffer from malnutrition than male children;
Whereas the Women's Human Rights Convention emphasizes the equal 
        responsibilities of men and women in the context of family life, and 
        until that occurs women will never be able to exercise and enjoy full 
        equal rights and they and their children both will suffer;
Whereas when women are better informed and educated, their family's health and 
        income benefit, and when women are given training and skills, their 
        nation's productivity increases and its economy grows;
Whereas worldwide there are women's and human rights groups working under 
        adverse circumstances to promote and implement the principles of the 
        Women's Human Rights Convention; and
Whereas by ratifying and acceding to the Women's Human Rights Convention the 
        United States will become a more credible proponent of the rights of 
        women and a more effective advocate in encouraging other countries to 
        protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the full realization of the rights of women is vital to 
        the development and well-being of people of all nations; and
            (2) the President should, therefore, promptly complete the 
        review of the Women's Human Rights Convention and submit to the 
        Senate any reservations, understandings, or declarations that 
        he considers necessary in order that the Senate may give its 
        advice and consent to ratification.

                                 <all>