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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 90 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 90

 Supporting the goals of ``International Women's Day'' and recognizing 
    this year's centennial anniversary of International Women's Day.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 3, 2011

  Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
   Durbin, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Begich, Mr. 
Whitehouse, and Mrs. Murray) submitted the following resolution; which 
                      was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Supporting the goals of ``International Women's Day'' and recognizing 
    this year's centennial anniversary of International Women's Day.

Whereas there are more than 3,300,000,000 women in the world today;
Whereas women around the world participate in the political, social, and 
        economic life of their communities, play a critical role in providing 
        and caring for their families, contribute substantially to the growth of 
        economies, and, as both farmers and caregivers, play an important role 
        in advancing food security for their communities;
Whereas President Barack Obama said, ``[o]ur common prosperity will be advanced 
        by allowing all humanity - men and women - to reach their full 
        potential'';
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, ``Put simply, we have 
        much less hope of addressing the complex challenges we face in this new 
        century without the full participation of women. Whether the economic 
        crisis, the spread of terrorism, regional conflicts that threaten 
        families and communities, and climate change and the dangers it presents 
        to the world's health and security, we will not solve these challenges 
        through half measures. Yet too often, on these issues and many more, 
        half the world is left behind.'';
Whereas the ability of women to realize their full potential is critical to the 
        ability of a nation to achieve strong and lasting economic growth and 
        political and social stability;
Whereas according to the 2010 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report, 
        ``reducing gender inequality enhances productivity and economic 
        growth'';
Whereas according to the International Monetary Fund, ``focusing on the needs 
        and empowerment of women is one of the keys to human development'';
Whereas despite some achievements made by individual women leaders, women around 
        the globe are still vastly underrepresented in high level positions and 
        in national and local legislatures and governments and, according to the 
        Inter-Parliamentary Union, women account for only 19.2 percent of 
        national parliamentarians;
Whereas although strides have been made in recent decades, 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 according to the World Bank, women account for approximately 70 percent 
        of individuals living in poverty worldwide;
Whereas according to UNESCO, women account for 64 percent of the 796,000,000 
        adults worldwide who lack basic literacy skills;
Whereas according to the International Center for Research on Women, there are 
        more than 60,000,000 child brides in developing countries, some of whom 
        are as young as 7 years old;
Whereas according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the majority of 
        women living in rural areas of the developing world are heavily engaged 
        in agricultural labor, yet they receive less credit, land, agricultural 
        inputs, and training than their male counterparts;
Whereas according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, women 
        in developing countries are disproportionately affected by changes in 
        climate because of their need to secure water, food, and fuel for their 
        livelihood;
Whereas according to the World Health Organization, as many as 1 in 5 women 
        report being sexually abused before the age of 15;
Whereas March 8 is recognized each year as 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; and
Whereas the milestone 100th anniversary of International Women's Day is a 
        testament to the dedication and determination of women and men around 
        the world to address gender inequality: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals of ``International Women's Day'';
            (2) recognizes the significance of the 100th anniversary of 
        International Women's Day;
            (3) recognizes that the empowerment of women is 
        inextricably linked to the potential of nations to generate 
        economic growth and sustainable democracy;
            (4) recognizes and honors the women in the United States 
        and around the world who have worked throughout history to 
        ensure that women are guaranteed equality and basic human 
        rights;
            (5) reaffirms its commitment to ending discrimination and 
        violence against women and girls, to ensuring the safety and 
        welfare of women and girls, and to pursuing policies that 
        guarantee the basic human rights of women and girls worldwide; 
        and
            (6) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
        International Women's Day with appropriate programs and 
        activities.
                                 <all>
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