Resolution for Women’s Rights
During LWVUS' 2024 National Convention, LWV Chicago sponsored a resolution in support of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international treaty concerning the rights of women and girls.
With the help of the LWVUS Resolutions Committee and many other Leagues across the nation, the resolution passed with 99% support from the Convention Delegates, committing LWVUS’ continuing support for the CEDAW framework at the local, state, and national levels. Read the resolution.
What is CEDAW?
CEDAW is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. It is often described as an international bill of rights for women, consisting of a preamble and 30 articles that define what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. It is important to note that CEDAW is not legislation; it is an international treaty that is not self-executing. 80 million Americans already live in a jurisdiction where a CEDAW resolution or ordinance has been adopted.
Why the resolution?
Supporting CEDAW is crucial to the work of the UN Observers, as it helps remove barriers for League members to participate in the ratification of the international treaty. This mandates gender-based data collection and reporting to the UN CEDAW Committee. The resolution also provides clarity that League members may engage locally in the adoption of the CEDAW framework. Each state and local League will need to determine their capacity to engage, but the resolution is required to clarify LWV-US support for local and state League engagement with CEDAW because it uses national positions for action.
The CEDAW resolution is not an attempt to circumvent LWV programming and advocacy. In fact, the LWVUS does not need to support the efforts of local Leagues to engage in grassroots adoption of the CEDAW framework; they only need to clarify this allowance through the adoption of the CEDAW resolution. This resolution provides the necessary clarity for state Leagues that wish to use the existing position to engage their state and federal representatives for ratification or local adoption.
Support for engagement on CEDAW is clearly stated in the national League's position on Equality of Opportunity, as well as the peripheral positions on Congress and the UN. Additionally, League policies and programs acknowledge the intersectionality of CEDAW through our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy. Implementing a CEDAW framework includes a number of other League positions ranging from voting rights and violence prevention to meeting basic needs and reproductive health.
Additional reasons to support CEDAW include, but are not limited to:
Bipartisan support: endorsed by 3 Democratic Presidents and 2 Republican Presidents.
Legislative traction: CEDAW has passed all Senate Committee hearings (Judiciary, Foreign Relations) but has never gone to the floor for a vote.
Universal framework: CEDAW is a framework to address discrimination across all sectors.
A mandate for data gathering, not specific policy: CEDAW requires gender-based data collection only; how disparities are addressed afterward is up to the legislature.
Supporting CEDAW aligns with our mission to empower women and promote equality. By passing this resolution, the League has reinforced our commitment to gender equality and strengthened our advocacy efforts on a national level.
Below are linked several resources for your reference to better understand the significance of CEDAW:
Thank you to the Leagues that sponsored this resolution:
LWV of Chicago, IL
LWV of Washington, D.C.
LWV of Oregon
LWV of North Carolina
LWV of Virginia
LWV of Fairfax County, VA
LWV of San Diego, CA
LWV of Santa Clara County, CA
LWV of Toledo-Lucas County, OH
LWV of Westchester, NY
