[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 36 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2428-S2429]
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 join others 
around the world in marking International Women's Day. This day 
celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of women worldwide, 
and also reminds us that, unfortunately, many women are still treated 
as second-class citizens. Gender-based discrimination and harassment, 
domestic violence, and sexual assault are far too common in too many 
places. The glass ceiling, while perhaps a bit cracked, still blocks 
the progress of many women who work outside the home. Lack of 
affordable quality child care forces many women to make a painful 
decision between their children and their careers.
  The wage gap between men and women around the world is still vast. 
According to 1997 statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
American women working outside the home in non-agricultural jobs earn 
about seventy-five percent of what their male counterparts earn; that 
is, seventy-five cents on the dollar. International Labour Organization 
statistics from 1996 state that women in Japan make sixty-two percent 
of what their male counterparts earn; the figure in Kenya is eighty-
five percent. Australian women fare better, earning virtually the same 
wages as men.
  In many places, women and girls are not considered valued members of 
society. Rather, their basic human rights are curtailed, sometimes to 
the point of denial of adequate medical care and basic educational 
opportunities. The illegal trafficking of women and girls for purposes 
such as slavery and prostitution is rampant in some areas of the world. 
In some places, it is common for women to be burned with acid by their 
husbands if their dowries are not large enough.
  The deplorable practice of so-called ``honor killing''--men murdering 
female relatives accused of things ranging from infidelity to objection 
to an arranged marriage--is again receiving international attention. 
What is even more deplorable is that the men committing these murders 
take pride in their crimes, which they justify as cultural tradition, 
and are routinely given light prison sentences. Some women endure 
voluntary imprisonment to escape male relatives who intend to murder 
them.

[[Page S2429]]

  Despite the challenges they face--or maybe in spite of them--women in 
the United States and around the world contribute to their families and 
their countries in countless ways.
  In the United States, March is Women's History Month. It is a time to 
celebrate the contributions of women such as Carrie Chapman Catt, a 
native of Ripon, Wisconsin, who served as the last president of the 
National American Women Suffrage Association, and was the founder and 
first president of the National League of Women Voters. Her influence 
on the direction and success of the suffrage movement is legendary, and 
her legacy in grassroots organizing is equally significant. She led a 
tireless lobbying campaign in Congress, sent letters and telegrams, and 
eventually met directly with the President--using all the tools of 
direct action with which political organizers are now so familiar 
today.
  Catt's crusade for suffrage saw a homefront victory on June 10, 1919, 
when Wisconsin became the first state to deliver ratification of the 
constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote before it was 
adopted as the Nineteenth Amendment in August of 1920.
  The legacy of Carrie Chapman Catt is alive and well today--in 
Wisconsin and across the globe--as women take a more and more active 
role in the political process. I am proud to serve alongside 
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, the first woman elected to Congress from 
Wisconsin. The 106th Congress includes a record 67 women--nine in the 
Senate and 58 in the House of Representatives.
  As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on African Affairs of the 
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I have monitored how the women 
of Africa participate in the political process and make vital 
contributions to the economies of their countries. During the recent 
assembly and presidential elections in Nigeria, women served as poll 
workers and were candidates for the assembly. I regret that voter 
turnout among women was noticeably low, but was pleased to see some 
progress being made.
  One way in which the Senate can honor women worldwide is to fulfill 
our long-overdue constitutional obligation to offer our advice and 
consent to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All 
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at the earliest possible 
date. This year marks the 20th anniversary of CEDAW, which was adopted 
by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979. CEDAW was 
signed by the United States on July 17, 1980, and was transmitted to 
the Senate for its advice and consent by President Carter on November 
12, 1980. Almost two decades later, the treaty is still pending before 
the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. As of December 1998, 163 
countries have ratified CEDAW. Only three signatories have yet to 
ratify the convention: Afghanistan, San Tome and Principe, and the 
United States. It is high time for us to ratify this important 
document.
  In closing, Mr. President, as the father of two daughters, I am 
hopeful that the world we leave to our children and grandchilren will 
be deviod of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based 
discrimination, harrassment, and violence. As we prepare to enter the 
21st century, we must redouble our efforts to protect and promote the 
rights of women and girls at home and abroad.

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