III 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 90 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

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.