[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 28 (Monday, March 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2296-S2297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today, on International Women's 
Day, to recognize the contributions that women have made to our world. 
Today, we commemorate the lives of women, the work that women have 
done, the sacrifices that women have made, and the progress that women 
have achieved.
  The past year was a very important one for advancing the rights of 
women. In Iraq, American women in the armed services played an integral 
part to the war effort and Iraqi women have now been given a much 
greater role in governing their country.
  In Afghanistan, women have rights and liberties not experienced for 
years. Women and girls are returning to schools and colleges and 
rejoining the workforce.
  Unfortunately, for many women around the world, the past year has not 
improved their ability to control their own lives. In many countries 
around the world, women earn less than men for performing the same 
tasks. In some countries, women are prohibited from owning property or 
from receiving the same education as men. And many women do not have 
the same access to health care that men have.
  On this day, we must reaffirm our dedication to women's rights; we 
must strive to ensure that all women and girls have every opportunity 
to improve their lives and to make their own choices.
  On this day, I would like to recognize the accomplishments of one 
woman in particular.
  In December of 2003, Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian defense lawyer, became 
the first Muslim woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. She received 
this honor for her dedication to democracy and human rights.
  In 1975, Mrs. Ebadi was the first woman appointed to be a judge in 
Iran. After the Iranian revolution, she was forced to resign her post 
on the court. Since that time, she has fought for an interpretation of 
Islamic law that reflects the importance of human rights and democracy, 
not just for men, but for all Iranians. I wish to recognize Mrs. 
Ebadi's work on behalf of human rights and I wish to congratulate her 
on winning the Nobel Peace Prize. She is truly a great woman and a 
great human being.
  I would also like to take some time today to focus on a number of 
areas where women have made recent progress and some areas that still 
require significant change.
  The liberation of Iraq has been a great step forward for Iraqi women. 
Today, the Iraqi Governing Council has agreed on an interim 
constitution. The constitution, also known as the Transitional 
Administrative Law, has a number of provisions that protect women's 
rights. For example, the Transitional Administrative Law requires that 
no less than 25 percent of the members elected to the Transitional 
National Assembly be women. The new consititution also states that 
Iraqis are equal without regard to sex, sect or religion.
  To ensure that the rights of women in Iraq are not violated, the 
Coalition Provisional Authority and USAID worked together to establish 
a women's rights center. This is the first of five centers that will be 
established throughout Iraq. The center is open to all women and offers 
a range of opportunities including literacy classes and English-
language training, nutrition and health classes, computer skills 
training, and courses on living in a democracy. The center will also 
provide assistance for widowed or impoverished women.
  While there has been progress, we must remain vigilant in our defense 
of women's rights in Iraq.
  Since President Bush declared major combat operations over, extremist 
Muslims have tried to suppress women's rights. In December, a group of 
Shiite members of the Iraqi Governing Council passed Resolution 137, a 
resolution that would have required the use of Sharia, or Islamic law 
that limits the rights and opportunities of women. Fortunately, the 
Iraqi Governing Council cancelled Resolution 137 on February 27, 2004.
  With the fall of the Taliban, many people felt that the situation for 
women in Afghanistan would improve. While Afghanistan's new 
constitution contains human rights provisions and mandates better 
political representation of women, new rules on female education in the 
Afghan province of Herat prevent men from teaching women or girls. The 
rules also uphold strict gender segregation in all schools.
  Repression of women is still commonplace in Afghanistan. Let me quote 
from a recent report issued by Human Rights Watch. The report says:

     . . . one year after the Taliban's fall, women and girls in 
     Afghanistan still face severe restrictions and violations of 
     their human rights, for in many areas Taliban officials have 
     been replaced by warlords, police officers, and local 
     officials with similar attitudes toward women. In some parts 
     of the country, the same officials who administered the anti-
     women policies of the Taliban remain in their positions. This 
     has meant the reimposition of extremely repressive social 
     codes that typically have a devastating impact on women.'

  So much more needs to be done on behalf of women in Afghanistan.
  Another year has gone by and the United States still has not yet 
ratified the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination 
Against Women. As Americans, we can no longer afford to ignore this 
important document and put in jeopardy our status as a leader in 
advancing human rights for women and girls.
  Given that it has been over 20 years since President Carter signed 
the Convention, one might think that the delay in ratification is due 
to the fact we are dealing with a treaty that requires years of study 
and consideration.
  Yet the Convention simply requires that participating states take all 
appropriate steps to eliminate discrimination against women in 
political and

[[Page S2297]]

public life, law, education, employment, health care, commercial 
transactions, and domestic relations.
  The United States is one of the only leading democracies in the world 
that has yet to ratify this important treaty. In fact, our partners 
outside the Convention include Iran, North Korea, and Sudan. Are these 
countries with whom we share the values of democracy, freedom, and 
respect for human rights? Are those the countries we can count on in 
the international arena?
  Women and girls around the world who turn to the United States for 
leadership in advancing their rights are mystified that we do not take 
the simple step of ratifying the Convention. When we do, the sky will 
not fall, the sun will rise in the morning, and the Constitution will 
still be the law of the land.
  By ratifying the Convention, the United States will reclaim its 
leadership status as a champion of the rights of women and girls and 
send a strong signal to those states who abuse those rights.
  On International Women's Day, I call on my colleagues in the Senate 
to move forward and ratify the Convention.
  While women have made great strides internationally in recent years, 
abuse of women remains a global problem. Worldwide, it is estimated 
that 1 in 3 women is abused or sexually assaulted in her lifetime. And 
anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of women worldwide have experienced some 
type of domestic violence. These numbers are astounding.
  Even in the United States, certainly a leader in promoting women's 
rights, a woman is battered every 15 seconds and battering is the 
leading cause of injury to women between ages 15 and 44. On average, 3 
women are murdered by their husbands every day in the United States. 
And as many as 750,000 women and children have been trafficked into the 
United States over the last decade. Certainly, we must do more at home 
to protect women from domestic and sexual abuse.
  On International Women's Day, the United States must also reaffirm 
its commitment to combating HIV/AIDS, an epidemic that has had 
devastating effects on women and girls.
  Transmission of HIV from men to women is twice as likely as 
transmission from women to men and the International Center for 
Research on Women has shown that there is a high correlation between 
violence against women and HIV infection.
  The impact that this disease has had on the lives of women is 
shocking. In 2002, 2 million women were infected with HIV and 1.2 
million women died from AIDS-related illnesses. Young women, ages 15-
24, represent 66 percent of people with HIV in the 14 most-afflicted 
countries designated in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. 
Teenage women in Sub-Saharan Africa are five or six times more likely 
to contract HIV than teenage males. This is truly a women's issue that 
must be addressed.
  Mr. President, on this day, we honor women. On International Women's 
Day, the United States and the international community must take a 
strong stand and issue a clear warning to those who attempt to rob 
women of basic rights--the world's governments will no longer ignore 
these important issues.

                          ____________________