The backbone of local CEDAW implementation is legislation. As of 2025, more than 70 cities and counties—from across the U.S.—have adopted legislative measures related to CEDAW. These measures primarily take the form of resolutions and ordinances.
CEDAW resolutions express a jurisdiction’s commitment to the principles of CEDAW. While resolutions carry normative value, they are not legally binding.
CEDAW ordinances, which are legally binding, highlight salient issues within communities, call for intersectional data analyses, create oversight bodies to effectuate implementation and urge local governments to develop action plans to promote gender justice.
In recent years, there has been a trend toward the adoption of ordinances rather than resolutions.
Local CEDAW Measures
The CEDAW measures passed by cities and counties, to date, include the following: [Click on each measure to view its text; ordinances are in bold.]
- Alameda County, California Ordinance (2025)
- Toledo, Ohio Ordinance (2024)
- Santa Clara, California Ordinance (2023)
- Richmond, California Resolution (2023)
- San Diego, California Ordinance (2022)
- Washington, D.C. Ordinance (2022)
- Erie, Colorado Resolution (2022)
- Fairfax, Virginia Resolution (2022)
- San Benito, California Resolution (2022)
- Bozeman County, Montana Resolution (2022)
- Appleton, Wisconsin Resolution (2021)
- County of Los Angeles, California Ordinance (2021)
- Irvine, California Resolution (2021)
- Northfield, Minnesota Resolution (2021)
- Guadalupe City, California Resolution (2020)
- White Plains, New York Resolution (2020)
- Pasadena, California Resolution (2020)
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin Resolution (2020)
- Broward County, Florida Ordinance (2019)
- Dane County, Wisconsin Resolution (2019)
- Madison, Wisconsin Resolution (2019)
- Santa Barbara County, California Resolution (2018)
- County of Boulder, Colorado Resolution (2018)
- Charlestown County, South Carolina Resolution (2018)
- Columbia, South Carolina Resolution (2018)
- Maui, Hawaii Resolution (2018)
- Rapid City, South Dakota Resolution (2018)
- Duluth, Minnesota Resolution (2018)
- Durham County, North Carolina Resolution (2017)
- San Francisco, California Ordinance (2017)
- Red Wing, Minnesota Resolution (2017)
- Richfield, Minnesota Resolution (2017)
- San Jose, California Ordinance (2017)
- Kauai, Hawaii Resolution (2017)
- Austin, Texas Resolution (2017)
- Boulder, Colorado Resolution (2017)
- Cincinnati, Ohio Ordinances (2017)
- Louisville, Colorado Resolution (2017)
- Sarasota, Florida Resolution (2017)
- Seattle, Washington Resolution (2017)
- Salt Lake City, Utah Resolution (2016)
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Ordinance (2016)
- Jamestown, Colorado Resolution (2016)
- Eugene, Oregon Resolution (2016)
- New Orleans, Louisiana Resolution (2016)
- St. Paul, Minnesota Resolution (2016)
- Lafayette, Colorado Resolution (2016)
- Laguna Woods, California Resolution (2016)
- Long Beach, California Resolution (2016)
- Edina, Minnesota Resolution (2016)
- Ashland, Oregon Resolution (2016)
- Honolulu, Hawaii Ordinance (2015)
- Miami Dade County, Florida Ordinance (2015)
- City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Executive Directive (2015)
- St. Petersburg, Florida Resolution (2015)
- Daly City, California Resolution (2015)
- Tampa, Florida Resolution (2015)
- Cincinnati, Ohio Resolution (2015)
- University City, Missouri Resolution (2015)
- Santa Monica, California Resolution (2015)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota Resolution (2015)
- Mount Vernon, New York Resolution (2015)
- West Hollywood, California Resolution (2014)
- Louisville, Kentucky Resolution (2014)
- Kansas City, Missouri Resolution (2014)
- Westchester County, New York Resolution (date unknown; link unavailable)
- Berkeley, California Ordinance (2012)
- Alameda County, California Resolution (2010)
- Oakland, California Resolution (2005)
- City of Los Angeles, California Ordinance (2003)
- Palo Alto, California Resolution (2002)
- San Francisco, California Ordinance (1998; codified in the SF Admin. Code in 2000)
Also, several states have adopted measures enshrining the principles of CEDAW, including the following:
- California State Senate Resolution No. 78 (2018)
- Kentucky House Resolution No. 6 (2016)
- Oregon Statewide Proclamation of CEDAW Day (2015)
Additionally, organizations comprised of local officials have endorsed local CEDAW implementation. Examples include the following:
CEDAW Rising 
