PITTSBURGH, PA (April 12, 2019) Mayor William Peduto has been chosen as the 2019 recipient of the CEDAW Global Leadership Award by the United Nations NGO Committee on the Status of Women/New York.
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 that failed to ratify the treaty, but in December 2016, Pittsburgh became the 6th U.S. city to adopt an ordinance based on CEDAW principles.
The Cities for CEDAW campaign in Pittsburgh is led by a coalition of NGOs, including WILPF/Pittsburgh, New Voices Pittsburgh and the Women and Girls Foundation.
Mayor Peduto and members of the city council partnered with these NGOs. The ratification of CEDAW ordinance in 2016 aimed to improve the lives of all women and girls in the City of Pittsburgh by reducing and eliminating violence against women and girls, ensure better access to economic development opportunities and access to quality education opportunities. Recognizing that discrimination in these areas also affects the health and well-being of women and girls, the City seeks ways to improve or complement the work that is already being done at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and Pittsburgh Public Safety Department.
The award was issued during an event last month in New York City.
