BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AJR 32
Author: Monning (D), et al
Amended: 5/10/10 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE : 3-2, 6/10/10
AYES: Corbett, Hancock, Leno
NOES: Harman, Walters
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 54-5, 4/8/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Gender discrimination
SOURCE : California Senior Legislature
DIGEST : This resolution requests that the Congress of
the United States ratify, and the President sign, the
United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women. This resolution also
respectfully requests that the Congress and the President
of the United States enact appropriate legislation that
addresses the concerns expressed in this resolution.
ANALYSIS : This resolution states that on December 18,
1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women was adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly, and after the 20th nation
ratified the convention on September 3, 1981, it became an
international treaty.
CONTINUED
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This resolution states that the treaty brings the female
half of humanity into the focus of human rights concerns,
and establishes not only an international bill of rights
for women, but also an agenda for action by countries to
guarantee those rights.
This resolution states that ratifying governments are
committed to creating conditions within which women can
exercise and enjoy basic rights and freedoms.
This resolution states that ratifying governments are
committed to ensuring girls' and women's equal access to
quality education in all subjects and at all levels,
including continuing and vocational programs for women.
This resolution states that ratifying governments are
committed to ensuring equal employment, vocational, and
promotion opportunities, job security, and equal pay for
work of equal value.
This resolution states that ratifying governments are
committed to ensuring women equal rights in choosing a
spouse, name, or occupation; to marry and divorce; to own,
buy, sell, and administer property; to share parenting
roles, regardless of marital status; and to choose the
number and spacing of their children, including adoption or
guardianship.
This resolution states that in 1979, after the United
Nations General Assembly adopted the treaty, President
Carter sent it to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
for ratification, where it was subsequently approved by the
Committee with bi-partisan support but never scheduled for
a vote on the Senate Floor because such treaties require a
two-thirds vote of support.
This resolution states that 186 countries have ratified the
treaty.
This resolution states that the United States of America is
considered by many nations to be the leader of the
democratic societies of the world and the leading proponent
of human rights, yet the United States of America is the
only industrialized nation in the world that has not
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ratified the treaty.
This resolution states that President Barack Obama and
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should be strongly urged
to place the treaty in the highest category of priority to
accelerate its passage through the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.
This resolution requests that the Congress of the United
States ratify, and the President sign, the United Nations
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women. This resolution respectfully
requests that the Congress and the President of the United
States enact appropriate legislation that addresses the
concerns expressed in this resolution.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/10/10)
California Senior Legislature (source)
American Civil Liberties Union
California Teachers Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author states: "Despite the
fact that the United States of America is considered to be
a major proponent of human rights, as well as a leader of
the democratic societies of the world, it is the only
industrialized nation in the world that has yet to ratify
this treaty. Women around the world are often denied basic
human rights such as the right to work and access to
adequate healthcare. The intent of this bill is to
accelerate the passage of the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women through the
United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee so that
the United States can join other signatory countries and
fight against gender discrimination and inequities."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Arambula, Bass, Beall, Blakeslee,
Block, Blumenfield, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan,
Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Coto,
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Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Hall, Hayashi,
Hernandez, Hill, Huffman, Jones, Lieu, Bonnie Lowenthal,
Ma, Mendoza, Monning, Nava, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas,
Saldana, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland,
Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Villines, Yamada,
John A. Perez
NOES: Anderson, Tom Berryhill, DeVore, Knight, Miller
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bill Berryhill, Conway, Cook, Emmerson,
Fuller, Gaines, Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Harkey, Huber,
Jeffries, Logue, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, Norby, V.
Manuel Perez, Silva, Tran, Vacancy
RJG:mw 6/10/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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