Massachusetts CEDAW Project (MassCEDAW)

The CWHHR actively supports The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The Massachusetts CEDAW project is a local initiative to affirm rights for all women, based on the United Nations General Assembly convention of 1979 which created an international bill of rights for women. On an international level, CEDAW consists of a preamble and 30 articles that define what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for action to counter that discrimination at the national level. To learn more about the Massachusetts CEDAW Project, click here.

Women and Health Coverage

America’s health insurance crisis does not affect everyone equally. Typically, those who are most in need of health care suffer from having the least access. The link between employment and health care coverage in America intensifies many of the economic and social disadvantages faced by women. The ‘Why is Health Insurance Coverage a Women’s Issue’ Fact Sheets lay out these issues together with state level data, for use by local organizations, teachers, health activists, journalists, and women’s groups. To learn more, click here.

Barriers to Health Care for Incarcerated Women

The health profiles of women involved with the criminal justice system are substantially poorer than those of women in the general population. Incarcerated women have higher rates of infectious diseases and mental health challenges as well as extremely high incidences of having been sexually or physically abused. Despite their poor health, women involved with the criminal justice system face signficiant barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare services. To learn more, click here.