June 12, 2002

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

I am writing on behalf of the 155,000 members and affiliates of the American Psychological Association (APA) to urge your Administration to support ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, also known as the Treaty for the Rights of Women.

We are pleased to note that tomorrow the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the Treaty, which has been stalled in Committee since 1995. We hope that the hearing, sponsored by Senators Joe Biden and Barbara Boxer, will build momentum for ratification of the Treaty by the full Senate. We urge the Administration to support Senate ratification of the Treaty. U.S. action is long overdue. Only a very small minority of nations -- including Iran, Sudan, Syria, and Somalia -- have not yet ratified the Treaty. The Treaty, which has enjoyed broad popular support in the United States, is compatible with existing federal law and would not impose any new laws. Rather, it would give our nation a framework for assessing our own policies and for working internationally in support of women's human rights.

The American Psychological Association has long served as an advocate for the rights of women, both in this country and abroad. APA's efforts to promote equality for women reflect the strong commitment of our members and of the organization as a whole. APA's Women's Programs Office, Committee on Women in Psychology, and membership division entitled, Society for the Psychology of Women, all work to improve the health, well-being, and status not only of women within the field, but also of women generally.

APA's vigorous support for women's rights and equality is founded on a strong social science research record. Over the years, APA's Council of Representatives has passed resolutions to: affirm a commitment to continue efforts to eliminate discrimination against women (1970); support passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (1975); adopt Guidelines for Avoiding Sexism in Psychological Research (1988); define alcohol and drug abuse among women as a public health problem warranting a mental health rather than criminal justice response (1991); document the impact of male violence against women and identify means by which violence can be effectively addressed (1999); and document the disproportionate impact of poverty on women and their families and identify means of moving individuals and families out of poverty (2000).

APA's efforts to establish fully the equality of women are based on the fundamental assumption that inequality between men and women not only disadvantages women, but substantially depletes essential human capacity, in all corners of the world. Recent developments in Afghanistan serve as a vivid reminder that women's rights and human welfare are fragile. But Afghani women are not alone in their plight. Women and girls in countries around the world are sold as sex slaves, infected with AIDS, forced to undergo female genital mutilation, and are denied basic rights to health, education, speech, assembly, and public participation.

In closing, the Treaty for the Rights of Women represents a significant step toward addressing such atrocities and infringements on the rights of women. We hope that you concur and will support ratification of the Treaty by the United States Government.

For further information, please contact Gwendolyn Puryear Keita, Ph.D., APA's Director of Women's Programs, at (202) 336-6044.

Sincerely,

Raymond D. Fowler, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President
and Chief Executive Officer

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