Feminism – it’s not a bad word! Empowering women benefits everyone. No woman anywhere should be subject to harassment, rape, domestic violence, sexual abuse, or any inequalities for wages, education, legal rulings, health care, and job opportunities.

Women are human beings with dignity and should be treated as such. However, in our world, women suffer immense indignities and cruelties. You can do something about this. You can make a difference. You just have to start by caring. Continue by learning about the inequities. And finally – act. And keep acting. And keep acting.

We’ll post things here that we feel can help make a difference in the lives of women. Women, for example, should have equal protection under the law. Women, for example, should not be trafficked. The list goes on, but the important thing to remember is that by speaking up, you are working to change things. You can change the world – one phone call at a time.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

What is CEDAW? From the U.N.’s website:

“The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.”

Full text of CEDAW

The United States has signed but not ratified CEDAW. This basically means that while we acknowledge it is a good idea, we are unwilling to bind ourselves to it. Such a commitment would entail:

“to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women;
to establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and
to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organizations or enterprises.”

Over 90% of the members of the United Nations have ratified the treaty. It is time for us to do so as well.

Click here for more information about CEDAW, including a list of who has signed and ratified and more interesting information

Ways you can take action:

Human Rights Watch has a campaign along with information about the United States and its history with CEDAW from President Carter signing it and sending it to the Senate onwards. In general, we encourage you to join other campaigns in support of actions found on this site. If their campaign is waning, your action can help breathe new life into it. If it is a strong campaign, you voice can help make it even more powerful.
Make some calls – let officials know how you feel! Click here for contact info for the elected officials in your state. Calling them and telling them you support CEDAW and desire them to do so as well, as your elected representative, takes very little time but makes an impact!
Make some more calls – let your governor know how you feel. Tell your governor that your state can enact the principles of CEDAW in your state laws. Your governor can come out in support of it, helping to increase public awareness, support and pressure in favor of this important convention.
Come back to this campaign in the future. We’ll have even more ways for you to help urge our government to ratify CEDAW.

Oppose Trafficking

What is trafficking? Basically trafficking is prostitution, sexual slavery, and it particularly affects women and children. Women and children can simply be kidnapped or they can be lured by false promises of regular employment, a better life, etc. Instead, they are often subjected to violence, being beaten, raped, emotionally abused and forced to engage in sexual acts to pay off their "debts"--allegedly incurred by the trafficker. This "debt" can never be repaid and the women and children are in an untenable and inescapable situation.

From the U.N.:

'Trafficking in persons' shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs; from Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, which supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

The U.N. says that there are 200,000 to half a million illegal sex workers in the European Union. More than 2 million children are being "sexually exploited" in Latin America according to Organization of American States Latin America Studies.

Trafficking is related to other forms of mistreatment and violence against women and children such as prostitution, pornography, and domestic violence. Combatting the abuse of women and children in all its forms is an important part of feminism. CEDAW is something that can be used to help.

Want more information? Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (click) is a good start.

European Convention Against Trafficking in Human Beings Ratification Campaign

There is a European Convention Against Trafficking in Human Beings which only 3 of the countries (46 possible) have ratified. The Convention will be in force once 10 countreis have ratified it. The Council of Europe developed this treaty as part of their mission to help protect human rights. Several other countries have signed it, but not ratified it. We want to encourage ratification of this by the other countries. Also non-member states are welcome to become Party to the Convention. From the website of the European Convention Against Trafficking (click):

While other international instruments already exist in this field, the Council of Europe Convention (Warsaw, 16 May 2005) is a comprehensive treaty mainly focussed on protection of victims of trafficking and the safeguard of their rights. It also aims at preventing trafficking as well prosecuting traffickers. In addition, the Convention provides for the setting up of an effective and independent monitoring mechanism capable of controlling the implementation of the obligations contained in the Convention.

By the way - the countries that have ratified it are Moldova, Romania, and Austria.

Amnesty International has various campaigns on trafficking. The following is the text of the recommended letter to send to the Prime Minister of France, Dominique de Villepin. We're including the text here because it gives a good overview and some talking points which may be helpful to you. Here's a link to Amnesty's Campaign. You'll also be able to access other AI campaigns against trafficking from that website as well. Also, AI wrote a report on trafficking (click).

The letter:

Violence against women is a serious violation of human rights and has been the subject of a campaign by Amnesty International since 2004. As part of this campaign, AI activists have been working on the issue of trafficking. Women who are trafficked across borders, for prostitution or labor, are very vulnerable to violence. Trafficking is a global phenomenon where victims are sexually exploited, forced into labor and subjected to abuse. Trafficking of women is a violation of fundamental human rights and is a crime under international law that requires international cooperation to address. According to Amnesty International’s recent report, Violence against Women in France – an Affair of the State, France is both a destination and transit country, to which women are brought to by the traffickers before they are sent on to another country. Further, some women may also be recruited, coerced or abducted by the traffickers when they are already on French soil. According to AI’s research, most of the women trafficked for the purpose of prostitution in France come from eastern Europe, the Balkans, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Amnesty International has concluded that one of the most effective ways of curbing such violence against women is to strengthen the protection mechanisms provided by the French state. In order to protect women vulnerable to trafficking, I urge you to ensure that France ratifies the European Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings and adopts an inter-ministerial plan providing, in particular, for:
a rapid and effective response by the justice system to combat trafficking

unconditional protection and support for trafficked women

revisions to the security law that forces trafficked women to hide

increased resources for organizations and individuals working on this issue

training programs and awareness campaigns targeting professionals and the general public
Your leadership is imperative in ensuring the rights of trafficked women are protected. I hope that further steps will be taken to ratify the European Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings and implement an inter-ministerial plan.

We recommend that you contact the people below. Ask them to encourage the French ratification of the European Convenation against Trafficking in Human Beings. The weird sounding phone numbers are international numbers. Since there are only 3 countries that have ratified it out of 46, we obviously also want to encourage the other COE states to ratify the European Convention Against Trafficking in Human Beings. So, you can mention other countries when you call the federal government as well (points 4-5). Points 6 and onwards give contact information for some of the other countries that could and hopefully will ratify the convention. Consulate General offices are like satellite offices of the main ambassador's office - they often deal with visa matters and may be a little bewildered about your call; however, they still should know about the Convention and should be made aware that U.S. citizens are in favor of their country signing it. Trafficking is a major international problem that won't get better on its own. Call the people below and help make the Convention get ratified to help safeguard the rights of women!

France

Prime Minister of France, Dominique de Villepin - 01.42.75.80.00
French Ambassador to the United States, Jean-David Levitte - 202-944-6195
U.S. Ambassador to France, Craig Roberts Stapleton - 33-1-43-12-22-22

United States

The President of the U.S. (click), your Senator and Congresspeople (click) - Letting these people know helps inform them that you take the issue of trafficking seriously, that women's rights and the protection of women is important to you and needs to be considered in any foreign relations negotiation. Obviously, if the U.S. ratified CEDAW, we'd have a higher moral platform here, but making this call is also a not-so-subtle reminder of that fact too. Finally, the U.S. is one of The Observers to the Committee of Ministers to the Council of Euruope.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - She is a foreign policy advisor and so is a good person to know that trafficking in human beings is a crime that cannot be tolerated and countries that do not bind themselves to treaties protecting the rights of women and children in this regard is unacceptable. 202-647-4000

Azerbaijan

U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan - Anne E. Derse - 994-12-498-03-35
Azerbaijan Ambassador to the U.S. - 202-337-3500
Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles - 310-444-9101

Belgium

U.S. Ambassador to Belgium - Tom Korologos - 32-2-508-2111
Belgium Ambasador to the U.S. - Frans van Daele - 202-333-6900
Consulate General of Belgium in New York - Renilde Loeckx-Drozdiak - 212-586-5110

Bosnia and Herzegovina

U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina - Douglas McElhaney - 387-33-445-700
Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassador to the U.S. - Bisera Turkovic - 202-337-1500

Denmark

U.S. Ambassador to Denmark - James Cain - 45-3341-7100
Danish Ambassador to the U.S.Friis Arne Petersen - 202-234-4300
Consulate General of Denmark in New York - 212-223-4545

Germany

U.S. Ambassador to Germany - William R. Timken, Jr. - 49-30-238-5174
German Ambassador to the U.S. - Klaus Scharioth - 202-298-4000
Consulate General of Germany in New York - Hans-Jürgen Heimsoeth - 212-610-9700

Greece

U.S. Ambassador to Greece - Charles P. Ries - 30-210-721-2951
Greece Ambassador to U.S. - Alexandros Mallias - 202-939-1300
Consulate General of Greece in New York City - 212-988-5500

Iceland

U.S. Ambassador to Iceland - Carol van Voorst - 354-562-9100
Iceland Ambassador to U.S. - Helgi Ágústsson- 202-265-6653
Consulate General of Iceland in New York City - Magnús Gústafsson - 212-593-2700

Italy

U.S. Ambassador to Italy - Ronald P. Spogli - 39-06-4674-1
Italian Ambassador to the U.S. - Giovanni Castellaneta - 202-612-4400
Consulate General of Italy in New York - 212-439-8600

The Netherlands

U.S. Ambassador to The Netherlands - Roland E. Arnall - 31-70-310-2209
The Netherlands Ambassador to the U.S. - Christiaan Mark Johan Kröner - 202-244-5300
Consulate General of The Netherlands in New York City - Cora Minderhoud - 212-246-1429

Poland

U.S. Ambassador to Poland - Victor Ashe - 48-22-504-2000
Polish Ambassador to the U.S. - Janusz Reiter - 202-234-3800
Consulate General of Poland in New York - Krzysztof Kasprzyk - 646-237-2100

Portugal

U.S. Ambassador to Portugal - Al Hoffman, Jr. - 351-21-727-3300
Portuguese Ambassador to the U.S. - Pedro Manuel dos Reis Alves Catarino - 202-328-8610
Consulate General of Portugal in New York City - 212-221-3165
Consulate General of Portugal in Boston - 617-536-8740
Consulate General of Portugal in San Francisco - 415-346-3400
Consulate General of Portugal in Newark, N.J. - 973-643-4200
Consulate General of Portugal in Philadelphia - 215-745-2889
Consulate of Portugal in New Bedford, MA - 508-997-6151
Consulate of Portugal in Waterbury, CT - 203-755-4111
Consulate of Portugal in Coral Gables, FL - 305-444-6311
Consulate of Portugal in Chicago - 312-259-9408
Consulate of Portugal in Los Angeles - 310-277-1491
Consulate of Portugal in Honolulu - 808-841-2828

Sweden

U.S. Ambassador to Sweden - Michael M. Wood - 46-8-783-5300
Swedish Ambassador to the U.S. - Gunnar Lund - 202-467-2600
Consulate General of Sweden in New York City- Ulf Hjertonsson - 212-583-2550
Consulate General of Sweden in Los Angeles - Tomas Rosander - 310-445-4008
Consulate General of Sweden in San Francisco - 415-788-2631
Consulate of Sweden in Anchorage - Edward B. Rasmuson - 907-265-2926
Consulate of Sweden in Atlanta - Jill Olander - 404-815-2292
Consulate of Sweden in Boston - Allen Counter - 617-451-3456
Consulate of Sweden in Chicago - Kerstin B. Lane - 312-781-6262
Consulate of Sweden in Cleveland - Michael Lee Miller - 216-621-4995
Consulate of Sweden in Denver - Donald G. Peterson - 303-758-0999
Consulate of Sweden in Detroit - Lennart Johansson - 734-944-8111

Spain

U.S. Ambassador to Spain - Eduardo Aguirre, Jr. - 34-91-587-2200
Spain Ambassador to the U.S. D. Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza- 202-452-0100
Consulate General of Spain in New York City - D. Juan Manuel Egea Ibáñez - 212-355-4080

Ukraine

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine - William Taylor - 380-44-490-4000
Ukraine Ambassador to U.S. - 202-333-0606
Consulate General of Ukraine in New York City - Mykola Kyrychenko - 212-371-5690

United Kingdom

U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom - Robert H. Tuttle - 44-20-7499-9000
United Kingdom Ambassador to the U.S. - David Manning - 202-588-6500
Consulate General of the United Kingdom in New York City - 212-745-0200