U.N. Human Rights Experts "Appalled by Lack of Gender Equality in America"

U.N. Human rights experts, (left to right) Eleonora Zielinksa,
Alda Facio, and Frances Raday

"A delegation of human rights experts from Poland, the United Kingdom and Costa Rica spent 10 days this month touring the United States so they can prepare a report on the nation's overall treatment of women.  The three women, who lead a United Nations working group on discrimination against women, visited Alabama, Texas and Oregon to evaluate a wide range of U.S. policies and attitudes, as well as school health, and prison systems.

The delegates were appalled by the lack of gender equality in America.  They found the U.S. to be lagging far behind international human rights standards in a number of areas, including its 23 percent gender pay gap, maternity leave, affordable child care and the treatment of female migrants in detention centers.

The most telling moment of the trip, the women told reporters (last) Friday, was when they visited an abortion clinic in Alabama and experienced the hostile political climate around women's reproductive rights...

...'It's a kind of terrorism,' added Eleonora Zielinksa, the delegate from Poland.  'To us, it was shocking.'

In most European countries, she explained, abortions are performed at general doctors' offices and hospitals that offer all kinds of other health services, so there aren't protesters waiting to heckle the women who enter.

The women discovered during their visit that women in the United States have 'missing rights' compared to the rest of the world...

...'The lack of accommodation in the workplace to women's pregnancy, birth and post-natal needs is shocking,;' Raday said.  'Unthinkable in any society, and certainly (in) one of the richest societies in the world.'

Another main area of concern for the delegation is violence against women--particulaly gun violence..."

eye'm thynkin':  We're behind the rest of the civilized world in the area of women's reproductive rights and post-natal care, and behind in the area of fair wages; but hey, we win the gun violence against women award hands-down!  Gee, where do you think we should put the blame for this embarrassment?

Let's hear it for America--where men are exceptional and women are...well, something less!

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