Family Research Council Urges Action on UN CEDAW Treaty

June 1, 2002

Currently there is a heavy push being made by radical feminist organizations, as well as many in the U.S. Congress, to urge U.S. consideration and ratification of the dangerous and unnecessary U.N. Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Treaty. It has come to our attention that some within the Bush administration are supportive of CEDAW. Our opponents have been fervently lobbying the White House and Congress during the past several weeks so we need a strong showing in opposition to CEDAW.

CEDAW has been languishing in the Senate dustbin for more than two decades; since 1980 when President Carter submitted the treaty to the Senate, it has never been brought up for a vote, not even during the 10 years when the Democratic Party controlled the Senate. In fact, during the first 2 years of the Clinton administration, when Democrats controlled both the Senate and the White House, they never saw fit to bring this radical treaty to a vote. In the words of Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC), CEDAW has never been ratified because "it is a bad treaty; it is a terrible treaty negotiated by radical feminists with the intent of enshrining their radical anti-family agenda into international law."

CEDAW calls for an absolute leveling of every kind of distinction between men and women at every level of society. This is not about opportunities for women. It is about denigrating motherhood and undermining the family. Following are a few examples of what the "expert" committee responsible for implementing CEDAW found problematic in signatory nations:

-- Denmark: The Committee noted with concern that stereotypical perceptions of gender role continued to exist in society [that] kept men from assuming an equal share of family responsibilities.

-- Belarus: The Committee complained that "Mother's Day" and the "Mother's Award" encourage women's traditional roles. -- Armenia: The Committee urged them to "combat the traditional stereotype of women in the noble role of mother."

-- Luxembourg: The Committee complained about its "stereotypical attitudes that tend to portray men as heads of households and breadwinners, and women primarily as mothers and homemakers."

-- Ireland: The Committee complained that the influence of the Church is still strongly felt and that because of this, "with very limited exceptions, abortion remains illegal in Ireland," and women do not have sufficient access to reproductive health services.

-- Slovenia: The Committee derided the fact that only 30 percent of children under age three were in daycare, claiming the other 70 percent would miss out on education and social opportunities offered in daycare. -- Romania: The Committee encouraged "the Government to include sex education systematically in schools*" and to "place priority on the review and revision of teaching materials."

-- Kyrgyzstan: The Committee ordered that "lesbianism be reconceptualized as a sexual orientation and that penalties for its practice be abolished."

-- China: The Committee called upon them to "decriminalize prostitution."

-- Germany: Prostitution is legal but the Committee expressed concern that prostitutes still do not enjoy the protection of labor and social law.

To read more about CEDAW, visit the following links: Sen. Jesse Helms', "The Radical Agenda of CEDAW"
http://www.senate.gov/~helms/Speeches/CEDAW/cedaw.html

Women for Faith and Family Statement on CEDAW
http://www.wf-f.org/CEDAW.html

Exposing CEDAW
http://www.cwfa.org/library/nation/2000-09_pp_cedaw.shtml

ACTION:
PLEASE DO ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TODAY:

1. Call or Email President Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Following Senators with the Message: "NO TO CEDAW." White House switchboard: 202-456-1111, Email: president@whitehouse.gov ; State Department switchboard: 202-647-6575, Email: secretary@state.gov ; Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121.

2. Utilize talk and Christian radio, telephone trees, and other resources to generate calls to the offices listed above.

3. Forward This Alert To Other Concerned Citizens And Ask Them To Contact President Bush, Secretary of State Powell, and targeted Senators.

If your Senators are on this list, it is imperative that you let him or her know that you OPPOSE CEDAW. Even if your Senators are not on this list, you should still urge them to OPPOSE CEDAW. We need as many voices as possible to speak out AGAINST CEDAW! The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

Wayne Allard (CO); George Allen (VA); Robert Bennett (UT) Kit Bond (MO); Sam Brownback (KS); Jim Bunning (KY); Conrad Burns (MT); Ben Nighthorse Campbell (CO); Thad Cochran (MS); Larry Craig (ID); Mike Crapo (ID); Mike DeWine (OH); Pete Domenici (NM); John Ensign (NV); Mike Enzi (WY); Peter Fitzgerald (IL); Bill Frist (TN); Phil Gramm (TX); Charles Grassley (IA); Judd Gregg (NH); Chuck Hagel (NE); Orrin Hatch (UT); Jesse Helms (NC); Tim Hutchinson (AR); Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX); Jim Inhofe (OK); Jon Kyl (AZ); Trent Lott (MS); Richard Lugar (R-IN); John McCain (AZ); Mitch McConnell (KY); Frank Murkowski (AK); Don Nickles (OK); Pat Roberts (KS); Rick Santorum (PA); Jeff Sessions (AL); Richard Shelby (AL); Bob Smith (NH); Gordon Smith (OR); Ted Stevens (AK); Craig Thomas (WY); Fred Thompson (TN); Strom Thurmond (SC); George Voinovich (OH); John Warner (VA)