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Los Angeles City Council adopts resolution backing U.N. women’s treaty implementation locally
Summary
The Los Angeles City Council on March 15 unanimously adopted a resolution urging local implementation of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), following remarks from the Commission on the Status of Women and local human-rights advocates.
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously March 15 to adopt a resolution affirming local implementation of the principles of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
The resolution, brought to the council by the Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women and Councilmember Jackie Goldberg, calls on the city to advance gender equality across political, educational, employment, health-care, economic, social and family policy areas. The U.S. signed CEDAW in 1980 but has not ratified it, the resolution notes.
Mario Tafur of Amnesty International urged the council to pass the resolution in a public comment period prior to the vote. "Local implementation is a first step that can bring real change to the rights of women in Los Angeles," Tafur said, urging the council to use local policy to integrate gender considerations in decision-making.
Councilmember Jackie Goldberg moved adoption of the resolution. The clerk recorded 13 ayes and the measure passed unanimously.
The resolution does not create a new law but asks the city to use CEDAW principles as a blueprint for future policy review and program design. Councilmembers and advocates framed the action as a municipal endorsement of human-rights standards and as a step toward encouraging federal ratification.
The council closed the public hearing and recorded a unanimous vote to adopt the resolution.
Looking ahead, city staff and advocates said they will work to distribute the council's resolution to other local bodies and to use the document as a reference in future policy reviews.
