CEDAW and The Commission of Women and Girls in Long Beach, CA
Elahe Amani
The Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW ) which is also called the Bill of Rights for Women and Girls is an International convention that as of June of 2023, six countries Iran, US, Sudan, Somalia Palau & Tonga have not ratified it yet. Cities for CEDAW is a campaign to protect the rights of women and girls by passing ordinances establishing the principles of CEDAW in cities and towns across the United States. The campaign was launched at a meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2013 by the Women’s Intercultural Network ( WIN ) . Many Cities including San Francisco and Los Angeles have already passed an ordinance or resolution for CEDAW. The Iranian Circle of WIN ( ICWIN ) members embarked on passing CEDAW resolution at the City of Long Beach in 2014 and thanks to Nazanin Amani who worked closely with Suzie Price, City council member on March 1st 2016, The City Council of Long Beach adopted Resolution in support of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Members of the chapter of National Organization of Women ( NOW ) and American Association of University Women also supported and were present at the City Council of Long Beach when the resolution passed.
ICWIN members and other gender equality advocates of the City of Long Beach, at City Council – January 1, 2016
The experience in SF, LA, and other cities has proven that Women’s Commissions are the backbone of any ordinance on CEDAW. So the idea of establishing a women’s commission was formed. Elahe Amani, Chair of the Global Circles of WIN and resident of the City of Long Beach along with other gender equality advocates in Long Beach embarked on the journey to establish a Commission of Women. The collective efforts led by by Activist, author and speaker, Zoe Nicholson.
On January 10th 2022, the Memorandum of the City of Long Beach stated “ According to reports from the Office of Equity, among all full-time workers in Long Beach, White men earn nearly twice as much as Latina women1, and 63 percent of Black women heads of household are considered rent-burdened, compared to 52 percent of White women heads of household. A Commission on Women and Girls in Long Beach can serve as a space for specific education, outreach, and advocacy in our community for the advancement of women and girls in pursuit of the elimination of gender-based inequities. In addition to the California State Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG), there are 25 women’s commissions in cities and counties throughout California, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Marin, and San Joaquin Counties. Cities including San Francisco, Pasadena, Glendale, and others have also established Commissions to advise their city Councils on the needs and concerns of women of all ages, races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Women’s Commissions promote gender equity and the empowerment of women in their communities. In California and across the country, Women’s Commissions are utilized to gain an understanding of the issues affecting women and girls in their communities and work to uplift and advocate for these issues. These Commissions have led initiatives targeting issues affecting women and girls like domestic violence, poverty, pay equity, incarceration, and economic advancement. In municipalities with Women’s Commissions, they serve an important role in advocating for issues and leading policy priorities affecting women. Ultimately, Women’s Commissions listen and learn from their community and ensure local women’s experiences guide their policy choice. “
On July 18th, 2023 the Women’s Fair + ERA Centennial celebration was organized in the City of Long Beach. Members of ICWIN were actively present and tabling and the event was sponsored by the Women’s Intercultural Network ( WIN ). The first agenda on the City Council session on July 18th was establishing a Women and Girls Commission. After decades of advocacy, and seven years after adaptation of CEDAW Resolution, the City Council formally established a new Commission on Women and Girls and marked a historic moment for Long Beach. And to make it even more poignant, July 18, vote coincided with the 100th anniversary of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment being introduced to Congress for the first time.
The idea of a women’s commission was first introduced by former Long Beach City Councilwoman Renee Simon — a longtime women’s rights advocate and just the second woman in the city’s history elected to the council. She attended the first UN women’s conference in Mexico City in 1975. She came back to Long Beach and asked her all-male colleagues to establish a women’s commission, but it was essentially dead on arrival.
Forty eight years later, on July 18th, Renee Simon attended the City Council session that voted unanimously to establish the Women and Girls Commission.
We all keep moving forward and never turning back!
Elahe & Renee Simon
ICWIN members and supporters at the Women’s Fair – Long Beach