Conservative leaders, including conservative religious groups, are initiating an effort to prevent U.S. ratification of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The Convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly 28 years ago, and 185 countries are a party to it. The United States signed the treaty in 1980, but it has never been ratified by the Senate. BP News reported yesterday that supporters of the treaty have asked Sen. Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to schedule a vote on the treaty March 8, International Women's Day. Rep. Lynn Woolsey has circulated a letter to members of the House of Representatives seeking support for a non-binding resolution asking the Senate to ratify the Convention.
Now, however, Rep. Chris Smith along with pro-life organizations have circulated their own letters opposing the treaty, arguing that it "will be distorted and used against provisions like parental involvement laws, the ban on barbaric partial-birth abortions and conscience protection for people of faith -- not to mention promoting taxpayer funding for abortion." Opponents are particularly concerned with Article 12 of the Convention that provides: "States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, access to health care services, including those related to family planning."
