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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2002

Statement

Statement of the National Education Association on CEDAW

The National Education Association believes all nations must respect and protect the human and civil rights of every individual - regardless of gender. The majority of our 2.7 million members are women, sensitive to the difference education plays in building a strong, tolerant society. They are disturbed by the fact that two-thirds of the 125 million children worldwide who have never attended primary school are female, and that women and girls who don't get an education have little chance of escaping the pervasive cycle of poverty and oppression.

That's why the NEA supports the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This treaty, more popularly known as the Treaty for the Rights of Women, requires each nation that ratifies it to end discrimination and make significant inroads in improving access to education for women and girls.

Nearly 170 nations have ratified the Treaty for the Rights of Women, making it the law of their land. CEDAW has played a significant role in Slovenia, where school admission policies were changed, and in Pakistan, which introduced co-education in primary schools. Girls now account for half of all pre-school age students in India. These are only a few examples of this treaty's impact worldwide. Yet, we here in the United States are dismayed that our country, a longtime advocate of human and civil rights worldwide, is not among the 169 nations that have ratified this significant treaty. NEA members feel the United States' continued failure to ratify this treaty jeopardizes our foreign policy objectives. And it casts a hypocritical shadow over our government's record in upholding human rights worldwide.

It's time for the U.S. to take action. We urge the Senate to ratify the Treaty for the Rights of Women and uphold our country's ideal of equal opportunity for all.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.