Presidential Documents

10631 

Federal Register 

Vol. 75, No. 45 

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 8481 of March 2, 2010 

Women’s History Month, 2010 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

Countless women have steered the course of our history, and their stories 

are ones of steadfast determination. From reaching for the ballot box to 

breaking barriers on athletic fields and battlefields, American women have 

stood resolute in the face of adversity and overcome obstacles to realize 

their full measure of success. Women’s History Month is an opportunity 

for us to recognize the contributions women have made to our Nation, 

and to honor those who blazed trails for women’s empowerment and equality. 

Women from all walks of life have improved their communities and our 

Nation. Sylvia Mendez and her family stood up for her right to an education 

and catalyzed the desegregation of our schools. Starting as a caseworker 

in city government, Dr. Dorothy Height has dedicated her life to building 

a more just society. One of our young heroes, Caroline Moore, contributed 

to advances in astronomy by discovering a supernova at age 14. 

When women like these reach their potential, our country as a whole prospers. That is the duty of our Government—not to guarantee success, but 

to ensure all Americans can achieve it. My Administration is working to 

fulfill this promise with initiatives like the White House Council on Women 

and Girls, which promotes the importance of taking women and girls into 

account in Federal policies and programs. This council is committed to 

ensuring our Government does all it can to give our daughters the chance 

to achieve their dreams. 

As we move forward, we must correct persisting inequalities. Women comprise over 50 percent of our population but hold fewer than 17 percent 

of our congressional seats. More than half our college students are female, 

yet when they graduate, their male classmates still receive higher pay on 

average for the same work. Women also hold disproportionately fewer science 

and engineering jobs. That is why my Administration launched our Educate 

to Innovate campaign, which will inspire young people from all backgrounds 

to drive America to the forefront of science, technology, engineering, and 

math. By increasing women’s participation in these fields, we will foster 

a new generation of innovators to follow in the footsteps of the three American women selected as 2009 Nobel Laureates. 

Our Nation’s commitment to women’s rights must not end at our own 

borders, and my Administration is making global women’s empowerment 

a core pillar of our foreign policy. My Administration created the first 

Office for Global Women’s Issues and appointed an Ambassador at Large 

to head it. We are working with the United Nations and other international 

institutions to support women’s equality and to curtail violence against 

women and girls, especially in situations of war and conflict. We are 

partnering internationally to improve women’s welfare through targeted investments in agriculture, nutrition, and health, as well as programs that 

empower women to contribute to economic and social progress in their 

communities. And we are following through on the commitments I made 

in Cairo to promote access to education, improve literacy, and expand employment opportunities for women and girls. 


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10632 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 9, 2010 / Presidential Documents 

This month, let us carry forth the legacy of our mothers and grandmothers. 

As we honor the women who have shaped our Nation, we must remember 

that we are tasked with writing the next chapter of women’s history. Only 

if we teach our daughters that no obstacle is too great for them, that no 

ceiling can block their ascent, will we inspire them to reach for their 

highest aspirations and achieve true equality. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2010 as 

Women’s History Month. I call upon all our citizens to observe this month 

with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that honor the history, 

accomplishments, and contributions of American women. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day 

of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence 

of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth. 

[FR Doc. 2010–5108 

Filed 3–8–10; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3195–W0–P 


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