DENMARK TOLD TO CHANGE LAWS BY CEDAW COMMITTEE, RAISING FEARS IN US

Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute ^ | June 21, 2002 | Austin Ruse, C-Fam

[madfly]

A familiar refrain of proponents of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is that US ratification of the controversial UN document would not result in significant changes in US law. Since the United States already recognizes the equal status of women, they say, US ratification is necessary solely to bolster the standing of the Convention in the rest of the world. For instance, Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), a CEDAW supporter, said at last week's Senate CEDAW hearing that it is "highly, highly, highly unlikely" that the Convention would have any important domestic impact.

In a June 18 article, New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof repeated this point, stating that "frankly, the treaty has almost nothing to do with American women, who already enjoy the rights the treaty supports…Instead, it has everything to do with the half of the globe where to be female is to be persecuted until, often, death."

But the most recent examination of Denmark by the CEDAW Committee seems to contradict these arguments. At meetings beginning on June 12, the Committee concluded that even Denmark's extremely progressive laws and social policies were not sufficient, and that Denmark would need to make substantial changes in order to comply with the Convention.

According to a UN press release, one CEDAW expert asked "How often had the Convention been invoked in the country's courts?" Another expert pointed out "that Denmark's Constitution contained no specific provision on discrimination against women…It was important to fully integrate the country's domestic legislation with the Convention."

One Committee expert showed concern that, "although Danish women…were now allowed employment in all ranks of the…Armed Services, even if that involved direct participation in military operations or combat," women had not yet "reached the top level in the military."

A Committee expert also stated that "In order to protect women engaged in prostitution, the tendency should be to penalize those engaged in pimping even more heavily." To allay this concern, a Danish representative reported that "in 1999 the Parliament had amended the criminal code to decriminalize prostitution and passive pimping."

One expert wondered how Danish families divided household duties and chores. "It was gratifying to know that fathers were increasingly taking care of babies," but the expert "also wanted to know how they participated in bringing up older children and shared in housework." In response, a Danish delegate assured the Committee that "continuous monitoring was being carried out" on fathers and their household activities.

Wendy Wright, senior policy director at Concerned Women for America, told the Friday Fax that such statements by the CEDAW Committee show that it does not seek basic equality, but the radical transformation of society, and that it would make the same kinds of demands on the US, if it ratified CEDAW. "If even Denmark doesn't satisfy the CEDAW Committee and must change its constitution, then surely no country's actions will appease these 'experts' on genderless feminism," she said.

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Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.

[parsifal]

This is NOT just scare-tactics. Internat'l treaties are already being used to attack the death penalty in this country. Treaties are a very high form of law. parsy.

[Ohioan]

Lunacy compounded on top of lunacy celebrated. The war against reality is alive and well on the Left.

Of course, Senator Joseph Biden is one vicious little Internationalist who has carried water for the Socialist Egalitarian World Order crowd for many years. There is nothing new in his trying to market this attack upon the basics of human sexuality. (See The Feminist Absurdity, for an analysis of the thought processes behind this sort of thing.)

America needs to make it very clear, once and for all, that we will run our own Societies, without advice or permission from international bodies. Anyone who has a problem with that needs to be treated like a modern day Benedict Arnold.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[sarasmom]

Bump and get the US out of the UN and the UN out of the US.

The whole world will be much better off.

[OXENinFLA]

You have got to be $h*tting me we are supposed to change OUR laws? Last time I checked we were our own country (kinda ). When is the common man that sits it front of the TV and watch wrestling (the dumbing of America) going to get up and realize his country is being converted into a utopian society? ie.. The world court,ICC,UN,WTO. Where PC rules the land and common sense, rational thought and lets not forget cause and consequence are tossed out and replaced with ZERO tolerance and PC rhetoric. That just my thoughts.

[concerned about politics]

You have got to be $h*tting me we are supposed to change OUR laws?

No doubt it was NOWs idea in the first place. God help America!

[El Gato]

Another expert pointed out "that Denmark's Constitution contained no specific provision on discrimination against women

And neither does the US Constitution, other than with respect to voting. It looks like ratification would open the door to all sorts of mischief. Women in combat, maternity leave for men, as a matter of law rather than something to be decided by individual employers. removal of such special protections that still exist for women in the workplace, the possibilities are endless, and frightening.

[RLK]

It's well past time to tell these meddelsome busybodies that we do not recognize them.

[brityank]

Thanks for the ping, madfly.

In a June 18 article, New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof repeated this point, stating that "frankly, the treaty has almost nothing to do with American women, who already enjoy the rights the treaty supports…Instead, it has everything to do with the half of the globe where to be female is to be persecuted until, often, death."

 

 

RAWA.org is one group showing just how far behind civilization some societies are, especially the 'peaceful' Muslims.

 

 

Get the U S out of the U N
and the U N out of the U S

[general_re]

You fogot scrubbing the toilets, changing diapers, and seeing if I can fit time in for my soaps during the whole thing...

[texgal]

Any career politician would have been a total fool to oppose it, alienating half the voters in his coming bid for re-election.

You assume that 100% of the women in this country would be in favor of this piece of socialist, feminist garbage. Anyone with a vestige of brain in their heads would oppose it if they read it and understood the implications. This is a dangerous piece of legislation for the family.

Write the president, your senators & congressmen and ask them to oppose it!

[shaggy eel]

and seeing if I can fit time in for my soaps during the whole thing...

,,, barf!

[general_re]

Muahahaha - I never miss my stories... ;)

[Sonny M]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't our constitution automatically supercede any treaties that we sign, and even if these treaties become "law of the land", don't our own laws automatically supercede them anyway, in regards to enforcement?

[brat]

You are so right!

[newgeezer]

You assume that 100% of the women in this country would be in favor of this piece of socialist, feminist garbage.

No, certainly not in the case of this piece of... . (I didn't say the two situations are identical.)