USA - Cities for CEDAW - Campaign for US Ratification of CEDAW

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The Civil Society/ Non-governmental Organization Cities for CEDAW Campaign is being led by the Women’s Intercultural Network (WIN), an NGO Consultative to the UN Economic and Social Council since 1998. We believe that an implemented CEDAW can help to create a more civil society in the world and safe, healthy, sustainable cities. We invite you to join with us to “bring the global local “ – bring CEDAW to the grassroots of America for implementation.

In 1998, the combined city and county governments of San Francisco adopted a breakthrough ordinance implementing and enforcing the provisions of CEDAW within municipal government. You can follow this weblog for all you need to know to make your city a CEDAW city.

In 1995 WIN brought the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) from the 4^th World Conference on Women to California for implementation at the grassroots with the California Women’s Agenda (CAWA). We look forward to the 20^th Anniversary of that BPFA and CAWA in 2015 with a resolution signed by 100 US Mayors to implement CEDAW in their cities.

WHAT IS CEDAW?
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a United Nations treaty for all women’s equality. The only international human rights treaty that focuses on women’s rights and provides a universal definition of discrimination against women so those who would discriminate on the basis of sex can no longer claim that no clear definition exists. It also calls for action to eliminate discrimination in many areas including politics, law, employment, education and health care. Read more here: Feminist Majority Foundation – CEDAW.

WHAT IS THE CITIES FOR CEDAW CAMPAIGN:
A national campaign with peer leaders WIN and the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women (SFDOSW) culminating in strong public commitments to enforceable CEDAW ordinances in 100 US cities supported by a Resolution (pdf) at the US Mayor’s Conference in San Francisco, June, 2015. See the attached Cities for CEDAW Concept Note (pdf).

WHY DO WE NEED A CITIES FOR CEDAW CAMPAIGN:
The US signed CEDAW in 1979, but the US Senate has not ratified it despite on-going advocacy in favor of ratification from diverse civil society organizations working at the national level. Los Angeles has since adopted a similar ordinance to San Francisco. Mayors of both San Francisco and Los Angeles believe that the CEDAW ordinances have materially improved the lives of women in their municipalities and fostered more transparent and accountable governance.

By engaging 98 additional U.S. cities in implementing CEDAW, this campaign hopes to increase awareness of, strong support for CEDAW implementation and demonstrate its usefulness as a tool for achieving gender equity: in political participation and representation, in income and earnings, in access to healthcare throughout the life cycle and in public and personal safety. This mobilization of civic engagement for Mayoral action in 2015 should create conditions under which the U.S. senate will ratify CEDAW.

HOW CAN YOU ENGAGE IN THE CAMPAIGN?
We invite you to become peer leaders in your city or village. If you are an NGO, connect with a governmental organization, or with an NGO if you are governmental. This partnership is critical for success.

We will have a sign up survey available soon. In the meantime here are some of the resources in our Tool Kit:

Cities for CEDAW Fact Sheet

CEDAW Ordnance Template for your city.

“Nuts and Bolts: City Action Plan to implement CEDAW” (pdf)

How to Organize a City Coalition with Marilyn Fowler, WIN President and CEO
Part 1: UNCSW 58
Part 2: UNCSW 58

CEDAW Resolution for US Mayors to sign (pdf).

“Making Rights Real” workbook (pdf).

For more mayors and videos about Cities for CEDAW, see Cities for CEDAW YouTube Channel.

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Show Your Support for Cities for CEDAW: Sign-up as an Ally, Today!

Today, I too commit to joining the campaign and initiating a process in my city to integrate women’s human rights standards into law. I pledge to advocate on behalf of local CEDAW implementation before my city officials, using the tools provided by Cities for CEDAW. I will also inform my local governing body of the following (3) requirements for a successful CEDAW implementation:

1. Gender Analysis: The ordinance must designate a specified number of gender analyses of city departments and commissions or boards to occur each year to ensure that a gender lens is incorporated in all aspects of city policy, with a focus on the unique needs of women;

2. Oversight Body: An oversight body is necessary to ensure that appropriate and timely actions are taken to perform gender analyses and advance the goals of CEDAW; and

3. Funding: An allocation of $0.10 - 0.25 per woman in the jurisdiction is required to assist with the oversight body's efforts.

I am proud to be a partner in the Cities for CEDAW initiative. To help spread the word, I will also join the Cities for CEDAW Facebook group and share my efforts with my advocate networks.

Name ________________________________________ _ Organization _____________________

City/State ______________________________________ Mayor ___________________________ Email __________________________________________ Phone ___________________________

Please email a copy of this form to dosw@sfgov.org with “Cities for CEDAW – Ally” in the subject line. Or Mail a copy to: Attn: Cities for CEDAW Department on the Status of Women 25 Van Ness, Suite 40 San Francisco, CA 94102