IV

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 86

Supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 8, 2001

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. LANTOS, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. PELOSI, Ms.

MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. CONYERS,

Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mrs. MEEK of

Florida, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. ESHOO, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms.

BALDWIN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mrs.

NAPOLITANO, Mr. BARRETT, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. NORTON, Ms.

MCKINNEY, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut,

Mrs. BIGGERT, and Ms. CAPITO) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in

addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

RESOLUTION

Supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.

Whereas all over the world women are contributing to the

growth of economies, participating in the world of diplomacy and politics, and improving the quality of the lives

of their families, communities, and nations;

Whereas women in the United States gained the right to vote

in 1920, but women in many other countries are still

fighting for their voices to be heard in the political process;
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Whereas pervasive discrimination continues to deny women

full political and economic equality, and is often the basis

for violations of the basic human rights of women;

Whereas the lives and health of women continue to be endangered by violence which is directed at them simply because they are women;

Whereas violence against women is a social problem affecting

women, children, and families around the world;

Whereas violence against women includes rape, genital mutilation, sexual assault, domestic violence, honor killings,

sexual trafficking in women, dowry-related violence, female infanticide, sex-selection abortion, forced pregnancy,

forced sterilization, forced abortion, and forced use and

nonuse of contraceptives;

Whereas the World Health Organization asserts that domestic violence causes more death and disability among

women between the ages of 15 and 44 than cancer, or

than malaria and traffic accidents combined;

Whereas at least 1 out of every 3 women and girls has been

beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime;

Whereas at least 1 out of every 6 women and girls living in

the United States has been beaten or sexually abused in

her lifetime;

Whereas 1 out of every 4 women who have been pregnant has

been abused while pregnant;

Whereas illegal trafficking in women and children involves between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 women and children each

year, of whom 50,000 are transported into the United

States;
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Whereas sexual violence, including marital rape, has been denounced as a major cause of the rapid spread of HIV/

AIDS among women;

Whereas 130,000,000 girls and young women have been subjected to female genital mutilation, and it is estimated

that 10,000 girls are at risk of being subjected to this

practice in the United States;

Whereas women still earn less, own less property, and have

less access to education, employment, and health care

than do men;

Whereas, on March 8, 1857, women working in clothing and

textile factories in New York City staged a landmark protest against inhumane working conditions and low wages,

leading to the formation of the first women’s labor union,

the Women’s Trade Union League, to gain basic workplace rights;

Whereas during the last century March 8 has become known

as International Women’s Day, and is a day on which

women, often divided by ethnicity, language, culture, and

income, come together to celebrate a common struggle for

equality, justice, and peace; and

Whereas the people of the United States should be encouraged to participate in International Women’s Day: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) supports the goals of International Women’s

3 Day;

4 (2) recognizes and honors the women in the

5 United States and in other countries who have
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1 fought and continue to struggle for gender equality

2 and women’s rights;

3 (3) reaffirms its commitment to ending dis4 crimination and violence against women, to ensuring

5 the safety and welfare of women, and to pursuing

6 policies that guarantee the basic rights of women

7 both in the United States and in other countries;

8 and

9 (4) encourages the President to—

10 (A) affirm his commitment to pursue poli11 cies to protect the health and rights of women;

12 and

13 (B) issue a proclamation calling upon the

14 people of the United States to observe Inter15 national Women’s Day with appropriate pro16 grams and activities.

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