The ERA (The Equal Rights Amendment) was first introduced in the U.S. Congress in 1923. It has yet to be ratified as an amendment to the U.S. Constitution by the U.S. Congress while a majority of countries worldwide have the benefit of this guarantee in their constitutions . CEDAW (The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) was adopted by the United Nations in 1979. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in July, 2002 to recommend ratification of this Treaty for the Rights of Women but it has never come before the full Senate for a vote. The U.S. remains the only country in the Western Hemisphere and the only industrialized democracy that has not ratified this treaty. These sites will help you understand the significance of these documents, how they would benefit women in the U.S. and how they are already benefiting women in other countries.