March 11, 1998



PRESIDENT CLINTON:
AN HISTORIC COMMITMENT TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS

We cannot advance our ideals and interests unless we focus more attention on the fundamental human rights...of women and girls... We are putting our efforts to protect and advance women's rights where they belong -- in the mainstream of American foreign policy.

- President Bill Clinton
December 10, 1997

Today, President Clinton celebrates International Women's Day by highlighting the Administration's commitment to fighting human rights abuses against women around the world. In his remarks, the President announces several new initiatives to prevent violence against women and calls for Senate advice and consent for ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Today, the President announces a series of actions to address women's human rights, including:

Stopping Violence Against Women. Violence against women remains a widespread violation of human rights around the world. To help end this:

Calling For Senate Advice And Consent To Ratify CEDAW. The President is calling on the United States Senate to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the most comprehensive international treaty to date that addresses the rights of women. 161 countries have ratified CEDAW since its adoption by the UN in 1979, including all our European allies and virtually all of our important trading partners.

Promoting Women's Rights In Afghanistan. Since the movement known as the Taliban became a military and political force in late 1994, women and girls in Afghanistan have been forced to become virtually invisible. The Taliban has issued edicts forbidding women from working outside the home, prohibiting girls from attending school, restricting women's access to medical treatment, and imposing other restrictions on dress and movement. The United States has repeatedly condemned Taliban human rights violations, particularly against women and girls. Today, the President will announce a new initiative to increase funding for support of Afghan women's grass-roots organizations and to provide more funds for support of training and technical assistance to improve the skills of women in Afghanistan, particularly in the areas of health care and development projects.

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