House Committee Holds Hearing on CEDAW

The House International Relations Committee
held a hearing on the Convention to Eliminate
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) yesterday. Representative
Carolyn Maloney, (D-NY) spoke at the
hearing calling it "an absolute embarrassment"
that the U.S. has not ratified the 20-year old
treaty.

Representative Lynn Woosley, (D-CA) held
a news conference following the hearing
where three women spoke who did not get a
chance to testify to how sex discrimination in
their homelands harms women.

Zieba Shorish-Shamley, founder and director
of Women's Alliance for Peace and Human
Rights in Afghanistan, spoke about conditions
for women in Afghanistan and CEDAW.
Shorish-Shamley described the system of
gender apartheid that exists for the women
and girls in Afghanistan under the rule of the
extremist Taliban militia, and how the U.S.
has failed to be a global leader in human rights
for women.

"The United States who sees itself as the
leader in the world for equality, human rights
and justice for all, is reluctant to ratify
CEDAW and fully implement its provisions to
eradicate discrimination of all kinds against
women," said Shorish-Shamley.

Media Resources: The Associated Press - 4 May, 2000, and Statement on

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