[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 30 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2148-S2149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to mark the recent 
celebration of International Women's Day, which took place on March 8, 
1997. Women have made great strides in the past century, both here in 
the United States and around the globe. As we prepare to enter a new 
century, however, we must

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recognize that there is still much work to be done in the areas of 
equality and human rights for all women.
  Here in the United States, women are making impressive contributions 
at all levels of society. They are daughters, mothers, wives, and 
sisters; they are entrepreneurs, research scientists, teachers, and 
scholars; they serve our Nation in the military, as civil servants, and 
as Members of the House, of the Senate and of the President's Cabinet.
  This year, I was proud to be a Member of the Senate which unanimously 
approved the nomination of the first female Secretary of State, 
Madeleine K. Albright. More women serve in the 105th Congress than any 
other Congress in history, with 9 women in the Senate and 53 in the 
House. While women have made great progress in running for and 
attaining public office, we cannot forget that women are still vastly 
underrepresented at virtually every level of government.
  In 1996, American women celebrated the 75th anniversary of winning 
the right to vote. Sadly, many women--and men--in the United States 
fail to take advantage of this aspect of democracy. As we prepare to 
enter the next century, we ought to encourage women to participate 
fully in our democracy, as informed voters and as candidates for public 
office at the local, State, and National level.
  One striking inequity that persists for American women is in their 
earnings as compared to men. According to 1995 data from the U.S. 
Census Bureau, women earn only 71 percent of the wages of men. This 
wage gap varies by race: compared to white men, African-American women 
earn only 64 cents on the dollar, Hispanic women earn only 53 cents, 
and white women earn 71 cents.
  Sixty percent of women are employed in traditionally female jobs. 
Women also make up a large segment of the United States contingent work 
force, which includes independent contractors, part-time and temporary 
workers, day laborers, and on-call workers. According to the American 
Association of Retired Persons (AARP), participation in this contingent 
work force has a significant impact on women aged 45 and above because 
contingent workers receive lower pay and fewer benefits and have less 
opportunity for advancement than do full-time workers. Women are more 
likely than men to be contingent employees due to an unequal 
distribution of parenting and household responsibilities which prevent 
many women from seeking full-time employment.
  Only part of this disparity is explained by differences in men's and 
women's career paths. Women and men employed in the same job also 
receive unequal pay. According to 1995 data from the U.S. Bureau of 
Labor Statistics, women received equal pay for only 2 of 90 occupations 
that were studied.
  As we look toward the 21st century, we must continue to fight for 
equal pay for equal work and continue to reform our Nation's health 
care and Social Security systems for all Americans. While we have made 
great progress with the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Health 
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, there is still much work 
to be done.
  Women abroad have also made progress over the past century. As the 
ranking member of the Subcommittee on African Affairs, I have had the 
opportunity to review the status of women on that continent. Last year, 
I was pleased to be a part of a hearing, chaired by Senator Kassebaum, 
which explored the status of African women. African women are becoming 
more active in the economy, in politics, and in solving national 
problems than they ever have before. Many development indicators that 
affect women--the number of girls attending primary school and life 
expectancy, for example--are also improving.
  But with all these advancements, we cannot forget the challenges that 
women face in Africa. In many countries, women are legally prevented 
from owning property or signing official documents without the consent 
of their husbands. Women comprise a substantial majority of the nearly 
7 million refugees in Africa. And, in Africa, women suffer more from 
the HIV virus than do men.
  As we prepare to enter the 21st century, the great strides made by 
African women, and women in others areas of the world, should be 
applauded, but the fact that there is still much work to be done should 
not be forgotten.
  In closing, Mr. President, I see International Women's Day as both an 
opportunity to celebrate the advancements of the last century and to 
outline goals for the next century.

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