Calling Long Beach to be a CEDAW CITY

 

Good evening Mayor Garcia, Vice Mayor Lowenthal Council members, administrators, Citizens of Long Beach;  In particular, thank you Councilwoman Price for calling Long Beach to become a CEDAW CITY

I have been active in the American Women’s Movement for 50 years.  In 1982, I sat on a folding chair in the Illinois State House rotunda and publicly fasted on water for 37 days for the Equal Rights Amendment,which you know never passed and to this day women are not included in the US Constitution.I am a scholar and consultant on the ERA.

Thank you for allowing me to speak on March 1, one of 32 days in the US calendar year which is legislatively assigned to raise women out of invisibility.

 

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• Women hold up more than half the sky
• Women carry water from shore to home, all over the world.
• Across the globe Women bear, feed, clothe and educate the young,
• Care for the sick, aging and dying

and Yet

• We are disposable, discarded, stoned, tortured, gutted of our sexuality and denied education
• We are forced to marry at age 12
• We die in early childbirth
• We are denied reproductive autonomy
• We are raped as a weapon of war
• We are denied mobility up the corporate ladder to driving a car

The US ranks #75 in women in leadership in the world, Behind the likes of China, Nepal, Rwanda

When you have an opportunity like this to protect women, you must throw your arms around it:

• Grab it
• Carry it
• Teach it
• Be it
• DO IT
• BEHAVE as if it is passed

It is the work of only the most advanced privileged people who have this astounding opportunity.  Because you are chambered leaders, you have the chance to bypass the uncivilized behavior of the U.S. Congress, To rise and join the cities and countries that have seen the joy in the morning of valuing women.

I am here to ask you,
To lift the women of Long Beach to hear this global heart beat and be a CEDAW CITY.
Your Mother wants you to do this.
The Grandmothers of all Directions want you to do this.
Stand with me at the clear light of day and say,
that you have protected their daughters worldwide and be a CEDAW CITY.

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AGENDA 16 -0201            The legislation which passed unanimously ~

Recommendation to adopt resolution in support of The Convention of the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and request City Manager to identify a current City Commission such as the Human Relations Commission that will partner with California State

University, Long Beach to complete a gender analysis study of Long Beach. After the gender analysis study is completed the selected City Commission should examine policy reforms as outlined by study and consistent with CEDAW in order to make recommendations to the City Council for implementation of any policy reforms or additional programming that is consistent with goals of CEDAW.