III 109th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 392 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 8, 2006 Mr. Lugar submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Designating March 8, 2006, as International Women's Day.

Whereas there continues to be discrimination against women and women are still denied full political and economic equality; Whereas discrimination is often the basis for violating the basic human rights of women; Whereas, worldwide, the lives and health of women and girls are endangered by violence that is directed at women and girls simply because they are female; Whereas women bear a disproportionate burden of the poverty in the world and constitute an estimated 75 percent of the world's poor; Whereas, of the estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year for forced labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation, 80 percent of the victims are women and girls; Whereas violence against women is one of the most widespread violations of human rights and it is estimated that 1 in 3 women will suffer some form of violence; Whereas the majority of the estimated 121,000,000 children in the world who are denied a primary education are girls; Whereas two-thirds of the estimated 875,000,000 illiterate adults in the world are women; Whereas, worldwide, women now account for half of all HIV and AIDS cases, and in sub-Saharan Africa, young girls ages 15 to 24 are 3 times more likely to be infected with HIV than young men; Whereas gender inequality and sexual violence are significant factors causing the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls; Whereas HIV/AIDS is having a devastating effect on women in the United States, and it is the leading cause of death among African American women ages 25 to 34; Whereas two-thirds of the estimated 19,200,000 refugees in the world are women and children; Whereas, in armed conflict, women are targets of rape when it is used as a tactic of war to humiliate the enemy and terrorize the population; Whereas it is estimated that 515,000 women die every year as a result of pregnancy and childbirth, and more than 99 percent of these deaths occur in the developing world; Whereas countries should take steps to ensure the full participation and representation of women in political processes, conflict prevention, and peacekeeping efforts; Whereas, over the last century, March 8 has become known as International Women's Day, a day on which people come together to recognize the accomplishments of women and to reaffirm their commitment to continue the 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

That the Senate— (1)designates March 8, 2006, as International Women's Day; (2)reaffirms its commitment to— (A)end discrimination and increase the participation of women in decision-making positions in government and in the private sector; (B)end and prevent violence against women; (C)pursue policies that guarantee the basic rights of women both in the United States and around the world; (D)improve access to quality health care for women; (E)protect the human rights of women and girls during and after conflict and to support the integration of gender perspectives in peacekeeping missions and post conflict processes; and (F)end the trafficking of women and girls; and (3)encourages the people of the United States to observe International Women's Day with appropriate programs and activities.