Former United States President Jimmy Carter and other members of the group of political and religious leaders known as “The Elders” have recently embarked on a worldwide initiative on “Equality for Women and Girls.” Grounded in the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – particularly the guarantee, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,” as well as such subsequent international conventions as the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) – the Elders have called for religious leaders, in particular, to examine their own records when it comes to the rights of women and girls. As the mission statement for the initiative proclaims, “Religion and tradition are a great force for peace and progress around the world.