Washington Post: CEDAW and the American issue of reproductive rights

 

CEDAW and the American issue of reproductive rights

Fears of changes in abortion laws cause U.S. Senators to struggle with passing the international human rights treaty aimed at protecting the rights of women.

by Riya Lakhe on March 05, 2022

 

(From left to right) Susan Markham, Ambassador Catherine M. Russell, Hauwa Ibrahim

Tension rises in the Senate chamber as Senators discuss whether or not to pass a historically controversial human rights treaty, CEDAW, or the Convention on the Elimination of all Discrimination Against Women. The U.S. is one of the few countries left in the world that haven’t ratified the treaty and, notably, the only developed country that has not.Map showing the status of CEDAW in every country around the world.

  By definition, the treaty simply outlines fundamental rights countries should provide women with. CEDAW never explicitly mentions divisive issues on reproductive rights, but some Republican senators fear the treaty is a slippery slope that could lead to changes in abortion laws. Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell and Utah Senator Mike Lee expressed their fears on the Senate floor while calling for a greater emphasis on abstinence in schools, while also maintaining the importance of accurate sexual education. Senator Lee also proposed a plan to provide mothers under the poverty line with $300 a month in aid from the time the child is born until age sixteen. The plan, according to Lee, would be “$300 no matter the cost of living” to prevent internal migration to more lucrative areas. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley spoke on the topic of pregnancies as a result of sexual assault stating that he believed perpetrators of sexual assault needed greater jail sentences, but that “carrying a child regardless of how the life came to be is not a punishment to the [sexual assault] victim.”  Remarkably, all of the aforementioned senators declined to comment when pressed for the ways they would ensure mothers aged 16 or younger would be financially supported other than the allotted $300 a month, should they lose their access to abortion. 

 On the other side of the debate, New York Senator Chuck Schumer expressed his enthusiastic support for the treaty stating, “I love women, maybe too much, but what I love even more is protecting women’s rights!” 

While many members of the Senate focused on points of contention between the parties, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey urged that “We need to focus on the common ground between democrats and republicans” asserting that both sides needed to focus on the greater good rather than their differences. Similarly, Maine senator Susan Collins agreed that “Yes, abortion is a part of women’s rights” despite being a republican. Although the issue of whether or not to pass CEDAW has proven to be incredibly divisive, the senate is working hard to find a bipartisan compromise that benefits all parties.

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