[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 26 (Monday, March 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E312-E313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              RATIFY CEDAW

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 11, 2002

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of International Women's 
Day and to urge the U.S. Senate to ratify The United Nations Convention 
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 
(CEDAW).
  CEDAW is the only comprehensive international treaty guaranteeing 
women's human rights and the prevention of discrimination against 
women. This treaty requires States to take all appropriate measures to 
eliminate discrimination against women in political and public life, 
law, education, employment, health care, commercial transactions, and 
domestic relations.
  In the past few months, we have been actively engaged in our 
continous struggle for freedom and equality for women around the world. 
CEDAW is highly critical to ensuring that Afghanistan will have a 
democratic government that protects and upholds fundamental human 
rights for women.
  Under the Taliban regime, women in Afghanistan had no rights. They 
were unable to hold jobs, go to school, or leave their homes unless 
accompanied by a close male relative. Now that the Taliban has been 
toppled, we must work together to implement CEDAW within the new Afghan 
government. CEDAW will ensure that women in Afghanistan will have the 
right to an education, health care, employment, and other basic rights. 
However, it is unfortunate that since the United States has not 
ratified CEDAW, we cannot employ CEDAW's universal standards in our 
efforts to assist the women in Afghanistan.

[[Page E313]]

  CEDAW is a tool that women around the world are using in their 
struggle against the effects of discrimination including violence 
against women, poverty, lack of legal status, right to inherit or own 
property, and much more. Most of these problems exist here in the 
United States.
  Now is the time for the U.S. Senate to ratify CEDAW in our fight to 
promote human rights for women worldwide.
  CEDAW will give the force of international law to our efforts on 
behalf of women's rights. I urge the Senate to ratify CEDAW and give 
women the rights they have been denied for so long.




                          ____________________