[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 21 (Wednesday, March 1, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor of the House this 
evening to salute the women of this country on the first day of 
National Women's History Month. This year is particularly special 
because it marks the 20th anniversary of the National Women's History 
Project.
  In my heart and in my mind this occasion is unique because Sonoma 
County, in my district, is the birthplace of the National Women's 
History Project, the organization responsible for the establishment of 
Women's History Month. This year's theme is ``An Extraordinary Century 
for Women--Now Imagine the Future.''
  The Project, as it is known, is a nonprofit educational organization 
founded in 1980 and committed to providing education and resources to 
recognize and celebrate women's diverse lives and historic 
contributions to society.
  The Project is repeatedly cited by educators, publishers, and 
journalists as the national resource for information on United States 
women's history. Thanks to the Project's efforts, every March, boys and 
girls across the country recognize and learn about women's struggles 
and contributions in science, in literature, business, politics, and in 
every other endeavor.
  As recently as the 1970s, however, Mr. Speaker, women's history was 
virtually unknown, left out of school books, left out of classroom 
curriculum.
  In 1978, I was the Chair of the Sonoma County Commission on the 
Status of Women. At that time all of us involved in the commission were 
astounded by the lack of focus on women. Because of that, we worked 
together with local women to push for awareness. Under the leadership 
of the chair of the commission that followed right after me, Mary 
Ruthsdotter, a group of hard-working women in Sonoma County put 
together a celebration of International Women's Day. That has since 
expanded through the Congress to National Women's History Week and now 
National Women's History Month.
  Together, the women in my district and the Project succeeded in 
nationalizing awareness of women's history. As word of the 
celebration's success spread across the country, State Departments of 
Education honored women's history week, and within a few years, 
thousands of schools and communities nationwide celebrated National 
Women's History Week during the month of March.
  In 1987, the Project first petitioned Congress to expand the national 
celebration to the entire month of March. Due to their efforts, 
Congress issued a resolution declaring the month of March to be Women's 
History Month. Today is the first day of March, the first day of the 
Women's History Month for the year 2000.
  Each year since, nationwide programs and activities in schools, 
workplaces, and communities have been developed to commemorate women's 
history in the national and international arena.
  In honor of Women's History Month, I want to praise Mary Ruthsdotter, 
Molly MacGregor, and Bonnie Eisenberg who are the birth mothers for 
this very notion. And I want to acknowledge Cindy Burnham, Donna Kuhn, 
Sunny Bristol, Denise Dawe, Lisa McLean, Molly Henrikson and Kathryn 
Rankin, the women now at the Women's History Project Office. All of 
these women serve as leaders to educate Americans of all ages about the 
contributions of women in our society.
  Mr. Speaker, to pay tribute to these women's achievements, I have 
reserved Statuary Hall on Wednesday, March 22. Proud mothers and 
daughters, educators, activists, historians, and other women across the 
country are invited to come to the Capitol to celebrate the 20th 
anniversary of women's history.

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  Further, the project has been recognized for outstanding 
contributions to women's and girls' education by the National Education 
Association for Diversity and Education, by the National Association 
for Multicultural Education, and for scholarship service and advocacy 
by the Center for Women's Policy Studies.
  I am truly grateful to all the devoted women at the Women's History 
Project for their continued commitment and for making an indelible mark 
on our country. However, Mr. Speaker, we still have a long way to go on 
women's issues. Sadly, America is also poised to cede its position as a 
world leader in the international fight against discrimination against 
women. We need to pass CEDAW, the Convention to End Discrimination 
Against All Women.

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