More Than Just Moral Urbanism? The Incorporation of CEDAW Principles into Local Governance Structures in the United States

The United States is one of only six countries and the only advanced industrialized democracy that has not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Established in 2013, the Cities for CEDAW campaign encourages US municipalities to become a CEDAW City by incorporating the principles of the convention—elimination of sex-based discrimination and promotion of substantive equality—into municipal code. A convention ordinance/resolution requires cities to (1) conduct a gender analysis of city operations and laws; (2) establish a convention oversight body; and (3) financially underwrite any convention initiatives. As of 2021, nine US cities have adopted a convention ordinance while 33 cities have adopted convention resolutions. This article asks whether adopting a convention resolution or ordinance is little more than a sign of moral urbanism, that is, a moral language without accountability, or whether cities have committed themselves to implementing convention principles in a legally binding manner. Conducting a legal text analysis, I find that the Cities for CEDAW campaign overall has mostly led to symbolic recognition of the importance of the convention rather than creating legally binding obligations that have the potential to transform city governance.