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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 109 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 109

Honoring and supporting women in North Africa and the Middle East whose 
bravery, compassion, and commitment to putting the wellbeing of others 
      before their own have proven that courage can be contagious.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 28, 2011

 Ms. Snowe (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. 
 Hagan, Mrs. Hutchison, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Landrieu, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. 
  Collins, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Ayotte, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mrs. McCaskill, and Mrs. Gillibrand) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Honoring and supporting women in North Africa and the Middle East whose 
bravery, compassion, and commitment to putting the wellbeing of others 
      before their own have proven that courage can be contagious.

Whereas, in the course of peaceful protests in countries throughout North Africa 
        and the Middle East, women have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with men to 
        advance their rights;
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has said, ``The rights of 
        women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st Century.'';
Whereas, in late December 2010 and January 2011, Tunisia underwent a political 
        upheaval, dubbed the ``Jasmine Revolution,'' resulting in the fleeing of 
        President of Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from the country on January 
        14, 2011;
Whereas one of the first voices of the ``Jasmine Revolution'' was the sister of 
        Mohammad Bouazizi, the young man whose death led to many of the peaceful 
        protests in Tunisia;
Whereas, on January 25, 2011, demonstrations began across Egypt with thousands 
        of protesters peacefully calling for a new government, free and fair 
        elections, significant constitutional and political reforms, greater 
        economic opportunity, and an end to government corruption;
Whereas women in Egypt have utilized social media to galvanize support among men 
        and women for peaceful protest;
Whereas huge crowds came out to protest peacefully in Egypt, and women were 
        among those that faced tear gas and who pitched their tents and slept in 
        the cold in Tahrir Square;
Whereas hundreds of women took part in a rally in Cairo on March 8, 2011, the 
        100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, to remind women in Egypt 
        that they must have a voice in their nation's future;
Whereas, on February 25, 2011, the United Nations Security Council and the 
        international community condemned the violence and use of force against 
        civilians in Libya;
Whereas, according to press reports, women in Libya have been working behind the 
        scenes making a profound difference to promote reform and keep the 
        momentum of the uprising alive, listening to worried fathers whose sons 
        are fighting on the frontlines, keeping up with the day-to-day clashes 
        and casualty numbers, and holding meetings about health and education 
        issues, as well as participating in the demonstrations themselves;
Whereas, according to press reports, women are among the leaders of 
        demonstrations calling for reform in Yemen;
Whereas women's groups in countries such as Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran 
        have attempted to harness critical support regarding legislation 
        affecting their rights;
Whereas women around the world continue to face significant obstacles in all 
        aspects of their lives, including denial of basic human rights, 
        discrimination, and gender-based violence;
Whereas women, young and old, have marched in the streets of countries from 
        Tunisia to Iran demanding freedom from oppression; and
Whereas women across North Africa and the Middle East aspire for freedom, 
        democracy, and rule of law: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) honors the women in North Africa and the Middle East 
        who have worked to ensure that women are guaranteed equality 
        and basic human rights;
            (2) recognizes that the empowerment of women is 
        inextricably linked to the potential of nations to generate 
        economic growth and sustainable democracy;
            (3) acknowledges that women in North Africa and the Middle 
        East are demanding to be included in making choices that will 
        affect their own lives and their families;
            (4) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
        universal rights of freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and 
        freedom of association, including via the Internet, and 
        supports the calls for representative and responsive democratic 
        governments that respect these rights;
            (5) celebrates this year's centennial anniversary of 
        International Women's Day, a global day to celebrate the 
        economic, political, and social achievements of women past, 
        present, and future, and a day to recognize the obstacles that 
        women still face in the struggle for equal rights and 
        opportunities;
            (6) condemns any efforts to provoke or instigate violence 
        against women, and calls upon all parties to refrain from all 
        violent and criminal acts; and
            (7) underscores the vital importance of women's rights and 
        political participation as leaders in North Africa and the 
        Middle East consider constitutional reforms and shape new 
        governments.
                                 <all>
```