[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 11, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        YEARS OF THE GIRL CHILD

  Mrs. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Post Office and Civil Service be discharged from further 
consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 302) designating 1994 
through 1999 as the ``Years of the Girl Child,'' and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to 
the gentlewoman from Oregon [Ms. Furse], who is the chief sponsor of 
House Joint Resolution 302.
  Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to day in support of House Joint 
Resolution 302 which I have sponsored in the House to designate 1994 as 
the ``Year of the Girl Child.''
  I want to thank each of my many colleagues who have signed up to 
support this resolution. I would especially like to thank Congresswomen 
Olympia Snowe, Cynthia McKinney, and Nydia Velazquez for championing 
this legislation early on as lead cosponsors.
  Also, I would also like to thank Chairman Clay for bringing up the 
resolution and Congresswoman Byrne for managing the resolution today on 
the floor.
  I introduced House Joint Resolution 302 to call attention to the 
inequalities that girls face around the world. While it is difficult to 
apply general remedies to a problem that varies so widely in detail and 
scope from country to country and from region to region, the 
indisputable common denominator for raising the status of women is to 
elevate the status of girls.
  Last month, many of us observed ``Take Our Daughters to Work Day.'' 
We brought daughters and young girls from our neighborhoods with us to 
our workplace and gave them a change to see some of the many 
opportunities available to them in the professional world. It would be 
so wonderful not to have to have a special day like this. But 
unfortunately we do. It is important to focus on the needs of young 
girls so they will regard themselves, and be regarded by others, as 
full equals within the classroom and the marketplace.
  Over the last several months, Members from both sides of the aisle 
have come together in support this resolution, acknowledging this need 
boost girls' self esteem and the need to create more awareness of the 
discrimination girls face in education, health care, and economic 
opportunities both in the United States and around the world.
  On this day, I thank my colleagues for standing up for human rights 
for girls and recognizing them as the valuable and vital resource they 
are.
  I want to particularly convey my appreciation to the Population 
Institute for all their hard work in promoting this resolution, and 
would also like to recognize the following organizations for their 
support.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a list of cosponsoring 
organizations of House Joint Resolution 302.

         Cosponsoring Organizations--House Joint Resolution 302

       Academy for Educational Development.
       African-American Women's Clergy Association.
       Alliance for Child Survival.
       American Association of University Women.
       American College of Nurse Midwives.
       American Psychological Association.
       American Public Health Association.
       Americans for Democratic Action.
       Aspen Airport Business Center Foundation.
       Associated Country Women of the World.
       Association for Women In Science.
       Association of Population/Family Planning Libraries and 
     Information Centers International.
       Bread for the World.
       California Population Committee.
       Center for Democratic Renewal.
       Center for Policy Alternatives.
       The Center for Development and Population Activities.
       Center for Population Options.
       Center for Women Policy Studies.
       Citizen Advocate for Responsible Birthing.
       Commonweal.
       Contraceptive Research and Development Program, Eastern 
     Virginia Medical School.
       Creative Associates International, Inc.
       Crossroads Counseling.
       Development Associates.
       DKT International.
       Family Care International, Inc.
       Family Health International.
       Fund for a Constitutional Government.
       The Futures Group.
       General Federation of Women's Clubs.
       Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
       Heartwood Institute.
       Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of 
     California, San Francisco.
       Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University.
       IPPF, Western Hemisphere Region.
       International Projects Assistance Services.
       Johns Hopkins University Population Center.
       Lutheran World Relief.
       Macro International.
       Management Sciences for Health.
       Margaret Sanger Center International, Planned Parenthood of 
     New York City.
       Ministry for Justice in Population Concerns.
       Missouri Botanical Gardens.
       Ms. Foundation.
       National Asian Women's Health Organization.
       National Black Women's Health Project.
       National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
       National Committee for an Effective Congress.
       National Conference of Women's Bar Association.
       National Council for International Health.
       National Family Planning and Reproductive Health 
     Association.
       National Federation of Business and Professional Women.
       National Museum of Women In the Arts.
       National Optimum Population Effort.
       National Wildlife Federation.
       National Women's History Project.
       National Women's Law Center.
       Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center.
       Nurture, Center to Prevent Child Malnutrition.
       Office of Population Research, Princeton University.
       Pathfinder International.
       Physicians for Social Responsibility.
       Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
       Population Action International.
       Population Communication.
       Population Communications International.
       The Population Council.
       Population-Environment Balance, Inc.
       The Population Institute.
       Population Speakout.
       Program for Appropriate Technology in Health.
       Research Triangle Institute, Center for International 
     Development.
       RESULTS.
       Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS).
       Sierra Club.
       Southern California Ecumenical Council.
       Transnational Family Research Institute.
       Treasure Coast Women's International League for Peace and 
     Freedom.
       Tulane (LA) School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
       UKIMWI Orphans Assistance, Inc.
       Unitarian Universalist Church.
       United Church Board for World Ministries.
       United Church of Christ, Coordinating Center for Women.
       United Church of Christ, Network for Environmental and 
     Economic Responsibility.
       United Church of Christ, Office for Church and Society.
       United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and 
     Society's Ministry of God's Human Community.
       United States Committee for UNICEF.
       Voters for Choice.
       The Woman Activist Fund, Inc.
       Woman's National Democratic Club.
       Women Employed.
       Women of All Red Nations.
       WOMEN OF REFORM JUDAISM, The Federation of Temple 
     Sisterhoods.
       Women's Action Alliance.
       Women's Caucus for Art.
       Women's Information Network.
       Women's Research and Education Institute.
       World Federalist Association.
       World Vision Relief & Development.
       Worldwatch Institute.
       Young Women's Project.
       Zero Population Growth.

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
would like to point out the importance of a resolution of this nature, 
because we know that unfortunately throughout the world girls appear to 
be the most neglected, deprived human resources worldwide. We know that 
they have been handicapped too often by the perception that they are 
temporary members of the family but also by the belief that boys will 
be the breadwinners and, therefore, deserve the resources of education 
and opportunity.
  We just completed H.R. 6, the reauthorization of the Primary and 
Secondary Schools Act, where we inserted in that important bill further 
opportunities for girls to be able to be more readily acquainted with 
math and science, to learn that it is fun, to learn that there are 
careers open to them. We know that as we look at the year of the girl 
that very often infant deaths occur and that infant deaths decline by 
20 percent when girls in developing countries have as little as 4 to 6 
years of school, so the importance of continuity of education.
  It is, therefore, very important that we look to the future and know 
that females are a very important resource and equity is of the utmost 
importance.
  I am pleased to cosponsor this resolution, House Joint Resolution 
302. I want to again commend the gentlewoman from Oregon for endorsing 
it and for introducing it.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the joint resolution, as follows:

                             H.J. Res. 302

       Whereas girls are the most neglected, deprived, and 
     mistreated human resource worldwide;
       Whereas girls are frequently condemned to a cycle of 
     poverty, illiteracy, unwanted pregnancy, and poor health;
       Whereas girls across the developing world are fed less, 
     withdrawn from school earlier, forced into hard labor sooner, 
     and given less medical care than are boys;
       Whereas numerous studies indicate that girls are 
     handicapped not only by the perception that they are 
     temporary members of a family, but also by the belief that 
     boys will be the chief breadwinners and, therefore, are more 
     deserving of scarce resources;
       Whereas parents in some regions of the developing world 
     resort to infanticide rather than use the family resources to 
     raise girl children;
       Whereas girls in some regions of the world become pregnant 
     at the onset of puberty and continue to become pregnant at 
     intervals that damage their health and increase the chances 
     of complications during pregnancy;
       Whereas girls with at least a 7th grade education have \1/
     2\ as many pregnancies as girls with less schooling;
       Whereas studies indicate that infant deaths decline by 20 
     percent when girls in developing countries have as little as 
     4 to 6 years of school;
       Whereas the World Health Organization estimates that 
     improved education for girls and family planning services for 
     women (including girls) would reduce maternal deaths by 15 to 
     33 percent;
       Whereas the World Fertility Survey indicates that a girl's 
     age at marriage increases with the number of years she has 
     spent in school and that she is more apt to marry at 22 than 
     at 17 with even as little as 7 years of education;
       Whereas girls in the United States still receive an unequal 
     education in our Nation's schools, by any measure--test 
     scores, curriculum, or teacher-student interaction;
       Whereas girls in the United States and abroad are exploited 
     as the victims of sexual abuse and child prostitution; and
       Whereas the most recent study of child sexual abuse in the 
     United States shows that, of the cases reported, 23 percent 
     of the victims were boys and 77 percent were girls: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That 1994 
     through 1999 are designated as the ``Years of the Girl 
     Child'', and the President of the United States is authorized 
     and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon all United 
     States missions in foreign countries, all United States 
     diplomatic personnel, the Secretary of Education, and the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services to encourage equality 
     for girls in health care, education, and all phases of family 
     and community life.


                    amendment offered by Mrs. Byrne

  Mrs. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mrs. Byrne: Page 3, beginning in line 
     3, strike out ``through 1999 are designated as the `Years of 
     the Girl Child''' and insert ``is designated as the `Year of 
     the Girl Child'''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment offered by 
the gentlewoman from Virginia [Mrs. Byrne].
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third 
time, was read the third time, and passed.


              amendment to the title offered by mrs. byrne

  Mrs. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the title.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment to the title offered by Mrs. Byrne: Amend the 
     title so as read: ``Joint Resolution designating 1994 as the 
     `Year of the Girl Child'.''

  The amendment to the title was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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