[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 39 (Thursday, March 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2722-S2723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of Women's 
History Month. This time has been appropriately designated to reflect 
upon the important contributions and heroic sacrifices that women have 
made to our Nation and consider the challenges they continue to face. 
Throughout our history, women have been at the forefront of every 
important movement for a better and more just society, and they have 
been the foundation of our families.
  In Maryland, we are proud to honor those women who have given so much 
to improve our lives. Their achievements illustrate their courage and 
tenacity in conquering overwhelming obstacles. They include Margaret 
Brent, who became America's first woman lawyer and landholder, and 
Harriet Tubman, who risked her own life to lead hundreds of slaves to 
freedom through the Underground Railroad. Dr. Helen Taussig, another 
great Marylander, developed the first successful medical procedure to 
save ``blue babies'' by repairing heart birth defects. Her efforts laid 
the groundwork for modern heart surgery. We are all indebted to Mary 
Elizabeth Garrett and Martha Carey Thomas who donated money to create 
Johns Hopkins Medical School on the condition that women be admitted. 
And jazz music would not be complete without the unforgettable voice of 
jazz singer Billie Holiday who also hailed from Baltimore City. Their 
accomplishments and talent provide inspiration not only to Marylanders, 
but to people all over the globe.
  A woman who illustrates the commitment of the women of Maryland is my 
good friend and colleague from Maryland, Senator Barbara Mikulski. 
Senator Mikulski, who has served longer than any other woman currently 
in the Senate, played a key role in establishing this month. In 1981, 
she cosponsored a resolution establishing National Women's History 
Week, a predecessor to Women's History Month. Today, I wish to honor 
her dedication and service to the people of Maryland and this Nation.
  While we recognize famous women, it is important that we acknowledge 
the contributions of others who daily touch our lives. It is our 
favorite teacher who gave us the confidence and knowledge to know that 
we were capable of success. It is the single mother or grandmother who 
toiled at a low-paying job for years to guarantee that the next 
generation in her family received better education and career 
opportunities. It is the professional women who volunteer the little 
spare time they have to read to children or speak to student groups, 
inspiring young people to aim for goals beyond what they may have 
otherwise imagined. And the stay-at-home mothers who devote enormous 
time to chauffeur their children and others from activity to activity, 
knowing that these many hobbies stimulate a child's interest and desire 
to learn. These modern day heroines, giving of their time, knowledge, 
and expertise must not be taken for granted.
  Women have made great strides in overcoming historic adversity and 
bias but they still face many obstacles. Unequal pay, poverty, 
inadequate access to healthcare and violent crime are among the 
challenges that continue to disproportionately affect women. Working 
women earn 74 cents to every dollar earned by men. What is more 
troubling is that the more education a woman has, the wider the wage 
gap. According to a recent Census Bureau report, the average American 
woman loses approximately $523,000 in wages and benefits over a 
lifetime because of wage inequality. Families with a female head of 
household have the highest poverty rate and comprise the majority of 
poor families.
  Women continue to be under-represented in high-paying professions and 
lag significantly behind men in enrollment in science programs. 
Increasing the number of women in these fields begins with encouraging 
girls' interest and awareness in school.
  As our population ages, we must also address the special challenges 
of older women. Women live an average of 6 years longer than men. 
Consequently,

[[Page S2723]]

their reduced pay is even more detrimental given their increased life 
expectancy as they are forced to live on less money for a longer period 
of time. In addition, more women over age 65 tend to live alone at a 
time when illness and accidents due to decreased mobility are more 
likely. For these women, it is imperative that we guarantee that Social 
Security and Medicare remain solvent for future generations.
  I believe we should use this month as an opportunity to reflect not 
only on the achievements and challenges of American women, but to 
recognize those of women internationally. We know that a variety of 
ills hinder the potential of women in many parts of the world--labor 
practices that oppress women and girls, the rapid spread of HIV and 
AIDS, and limited or nonexistent suffrage rights. We must broaden 
access to education, the political process, and reproductive health 
globally so that girls and women everywhere can maximize their options. 
To have a credible voice in the international arena, the United States 
must lead by example, showing that American women enjoy these rights 
fully.
  While obstacles remain, women have achieved impressive progress. This 
good news includes a decline in the poverty rate for single women and 
an increase in those holding advanced degrees. Recent figures show 
women received approximately 45 percent of law and 42 percent of 
medical degrees awarded in this country. This is a dramatic improvement 
from a few decades ago and should continue as more and more women enter 
professional programs.
  In my home State of Maryland, as in the Nation, women are a guiding 
force and a major presence in our national business sector. From 1987 
to 1999, the number of women-owned firms in the United States grew by 
103 percent. Women were responsible for 80 percent of the total 
enrollment growth at Maryland colleges and universities throughout the 
last two decades.
  I am pleased to report that during my service in Congress, I have 
strongly supported efforts to address women's issues and correct gender 
discrimination and inequality. In the present session, I have 
cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would provide more 
effective remedies to victims of wage discrimination on the basis of 
sex. Along with many of my colleagues, I have supported the Equity in 
Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act, which would 
prohibit health insurance plans from excluding or restricting benefits 
for FDA-approved prescription contraception if the plan covers other 
prescription drugs. In order to build a national repository of the 
contributions of women to our Nation's history, I cosponsored 
legislation to establish a National Museum of Women's History Advisory 
Committee. I am proud of these efforts and I will continue my 
commitment to bring fuller equality to all women.
  Indeed, women have made great progress. I think it is appropriate to 
point out the accomplishments of women in history, but it is also 
important to educate present and future generations about gender 
discrimination so that we do not repeat past mistakes. We all look 
forward to a day when these conditions will be distant and 
unimaginable. We are closer to that day than we were yesterday, but we 
still have some distance to travel. I am confident that the women of 
America will lead this journey and continue to exemplify and advocate 
for those values and ideals which are at the heart of a decent, caring, 
and fair society.

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