Battle of the Sexes: Why the United States Has Not Yet Ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Abstract

Developed from a larger research project examining why the United States Senate formally rejects multilateral treaties, this particular study examines a related branch of inquiry about which factors impact the treaty ratification process in the United States. Utilizing the method of structured, focused comparison, used by Alexander George, the project presents a case study of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to observe why the Senate has failed to provide advice and consent to this multilateral treaty. As multilateral treaties become more common in today’s globalized world, it is important to understand the factors that can cause these international agreements to face obstruction and prolonged debate in the United States. By analyzing why CEDAW has continued to languish in the Senate, this paper provides policy relevant generalizations about the factors that affect the ratification process of multilateral treaties and discusses the subsequent effect that stalled treaties such as CEDAW have on American foreign policy.