| The NGO Committee on the Status of Women/New York is proud to announce Mayor William Peduto as 2019 Recipient Cities for CEDAW Global Leadership Award. The award will be given at NGO CSW63 Forum Consultation Day on Sunday, March 10th from 9AM to 3:30PM at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center (Borough of Manhattan Community College). The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly and ratified by 189 countries. The United States is one of five countries which failed to ratify the treaty. In 2015, the NGO CSW/NY launched the Cities for CEDAW campaign with San Francisco as the peer leader for the US. This campaign has grown to include more than 50 US cities working to implement CEDAW policies and programs at the local level making it illegal to discriminate against women. It assures girls and women of all ages– in all their diversity–the rights to decent housing, employment, public safety and access to social services and resources. Mayor William Peduto was chosen for this award due to his work to implement sustaining policies which eliminate all forms of discrimination against women at the local level. Serving on the Pittsburgh City Council for twelve years, he was responsible for the most comprehensive package of government reform legislation in Pittsburgh’s history. Now in his second term as Mayor, Pittsburgh is a leading 21st Century city. Mayor Peduto is actively engaged with the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Pennsylvania Municipal League initiatives. To make the global local in Pittsburgh, NGOs: WILPF/Pittsburgh and the Zonta Club of Pittsburgh, along with women advocate groups New Voices Pittsburgh and the Women’s Law Project, formed the Pittsburgh for CEDAW Coalition. They worked closely with their sponsor, Councilperson Natalia Rudiak, and with the full support of Mayor Peduto, the City Council passed unanimously the CEDAW ordinance in 2016. The Ordinance seeks to improve the lives of all women and girls in Pittsburgh by, for example, reducing and eliminating violence against women and girls, promoting more equitable economic development, increasing quality education opportunities and the delivery of all City services. It recognizes discrimination in these areas also affects the health and well-being of women and girls and seeks ways to improve or complement the work that is already being done by groups such as the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department. The Gender Equity Commission began meeting in 2018 and currently has 14 volunteers who are local feminist leaders. Executive Director anupama jain describes their goals of “dismantling gender inequalities in our city” and reiterates the CEDAW motto that, “when women succeed, our communities thrive.” On Consultation Day join us in honoring and thanking Mayor Peduto. Under his leadership girls and women are succeeding and “If it’s not for all, it’s not for us.” |