Standing Up for Women’s Rights in Andover
People of Grace Church! We invite you to attend our program on a resolution for the City of Andover about protecting and strengthening women’s rights in our community. The event is on Sunday, February 18, 2024, at 1:00 pm at Grace.
Andover residents Olivia Paulson, a Mitchell Hamline School of Law student, and Amanda Novak, a local lawyer, will share surprising information about gender-based violence, maternal mortality, and other challenges in our area. For example, unsettling data includes the following:
· Every year, it is estimated more than 10 million women and men are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.
· In 2022 in Minnesota, 6,710 women were victims of rape or aggravated assault, with an average of 18 women each day.
· From 2012-2019, there were 468 sexual and domestic assault offenses in Andover.
In 1970, the UN passed a document known as CEDAW (‘see-daw’), the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. CEDAW is known as the human rights document for women. Only six nations in the world haven’t ratified CEDAW: Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Palau, Tonga—and the US.
Men and women throughout the US are standing up for CEDAW and bringing significant changes to their towns and neighborhoods.
Nine Minnesota cities have ratified support for CEDAW and its principles at the local level: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Northfield, Edina, Eden Prairie, Red Wing, Golden Valley, and Richfield. Andover can become the 10th Minnesota city to affirm women’s rights. The time is now to expand safety, security, and support for women – which makes our community better for all of us.
This event is free and open to the public. Please join us on Sunday, February 18, at 1:00 pm for this important discussion—and treats!
