[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2457-S2459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 315, submitted 
earlier in the day by Senators Biden, Lugar, and others.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 315) designating March 8, 2004, as 
     ``International Women's Day.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceed to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I support this resolution commemorating an 
extraordinary holiday, International Women's Day; a day that is 
celebrated around the globe to mark women's achievements and to 
recognize pressing gender inequities still to be erased.
  There is no doubt that women have made tremendous strides toward 
equality and justice in the last century. International Women's Day 
provides an important chance to acknowledge women who have pioneered 
change and paved the way for millions of women and girls to access 
equal education, employment and opportunity. On the other side of the 
coin, International Women's Day provides an opportunity for us to make 
a new ``to-do'' list and highlight what remains to be done, both at 
home and abroad.
  Women's rights, or lack thereof, in the Middle East and South Asia 
assumed special prominence in the days and weeks after the tragic 
events of September 11. Americans became familiar with the Taliban's 
horrendous repression of Afghan women and girls. Two years after the 
United States removed the Taliban from power, Americans watched as the 
Afghan loya jirga, or grand council, met to adopt a new constitution--
an opportunity to debate and create enforceable women's rights. Yet it 
remains to be seen whether the country's constitution establishes 
tangible improvements to the plight of Afghan women. In a similar vein, 
the fall of Saddam Hussein has given Iraqi women an opportunity to 
engage in public life and seek equal rights. Indeed, the interim Iraqi 
constitution sets aside 25 percent female participation in the interim 
government. But the challenges to women's rights in that region of the 
world abound, ranging from engrained religious and cultural norms to 
poverty from years of strife. I am convinced, however, that lasting 
stability and representational government depends upon the emancipation 
and full participation of women in the Middle East and South Asia. 
International Women's Day is a chance for us to reiterate that message, 
in those regions and around the world, that empowering women is the key 
to lasting peace and prosperity. And to that end, the United States 
should provide critical resources to help support and empower women and 
girls around the globe--an articulated priority to this administration, 
but as of yet an unmet goal.
  A fitting tribute to International Women's Day would be ratification 
of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination 
Against Women, also known as the International Women's Rights treaty. 
It sets out basic women's rights--such as the right to an equal 
education and the right to own and inherit property. These rights are 
well settled in the United States, but unfortunately, they are not the 
norm in too many places around the globe. The treaty is stalled because 
of the administration's interminable treaty ``review.'' After first 
telling the Committee on Foreign Relations that it supported the 
treaty, it has commenced a review of the treaty that has now lasted 
nearly 2 years. To

[[Page S2458]]

date, 174 countries have become party to the treaty. The United States 
stands with the likes of Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan as those 
few countries that have yet to become a party. This is not the company 
that our country--the place where the women's movement began--should 
keep. An administration that cares about the promotion of women's human 
rights should declare its unwavering support for the International 
Women's Rights treaty.

  International Women's Day is also a perfect time for my Senate 
colleagues to recognize and address the plight of refugee women. I urge 
them to show their support for the Women and Children in Armed Conflict 
Protection Act of 2003, the ``Protection Act'', S. 1001. There are 
nearly 20 million people homeless today because of war and internal 
conflict--and the majority of them are women and children. A tragic 
irony is that women and kids who find their way into refugee camps 
sometimes face abuse and exploitation in the very place that is 
supposed to provide security and safety. The Protection Act of 2003 
requires the United States government to develop a comprehensive 
strategy to protect women and children in all stages of conflicts, and 
sets out specific codes of conduct for agencies running refugee camps. 
In addition, the bill supports a variety of programs that are providing 
help to women in war-torn countries, programs that range from tracing 
lost relatives to providing legal aid for rape survivors. Most 
importantly, the bill backs up all of its directives with money--$45 
million per year--money that can make a real difference to women in 
such extreme crisis.
  According to Government reports, some 800,000 to 900,000 people are 
trafficked across international borders worldwide to be enslaved as 
sweatshop workers, prostitutes, agricultural workers, or domestic 
servants--up to 20,000 of them are trafficked into the United States. A 
recent New York Times Magazine article profiled the gory details of sex 
trafficking in America's towns and suburbs. The Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act is the first Federal legislation that attacked head-on 
the very serious crime and aftermath of human trafficking. The 
legislation is wide in scope, tackling among other items, Federal 
penalties for trafficking, international ramifications for trafficking 
and the immigration needs of trafficking victims. But there remains 
much to be done. I want to make sure that we have provided law 
enforcement all of the legal tools and financial resources they need to 
go after criminals who engage in trafficking. I want to find out if 
criminal penalties--both here and abroad--are sufficient to deter 
traffickers. I want to explore if there are innovative things which can 
be done with extradition and witness protection to encourage fearful 
victims and witnesses to come forward to help make these cases. Women 
and girls are overwhelmingly the victims of trafficking. Stepping up 
our attention to this crime means speaking up for international women's 
rights--a perfect endeavor on International Women's day.
  I will close my remarks on International Women's Day with a topic 
that my fellow Senators know animates me--ending violence against 
women. One in three--that is how many women worldwide are raped, beaten 
or sexually abused in their lifetime. Violence against women is the 
quintessential global issue. It strikes in wealthy and poor countries, 
ravages war-torn countries and peaceful ones alike, and plagues 
disparate cultures. In a nationwide poll, women in the United States 
recently named domestic violence as their number one concern--number 
one. Guaranteeing women safety and immediate accountability for 
violence is the first step towards creating equal opportunities in the 
public realm--it is the sock that must go on before the shoes. Our 
attention and efforts to eradicate violence against women must not 
wane, and indeed, we need to redouble our efforts. Our International 
Women's Day and every other day, women all over the world deserve 
nothing less.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, this year marks the 95th anniversary of 
National Women's Day and the 93rd anniversary of International Women's 
Day. Since the first decades of the 20th century, when women in the 
United States, Western Europe, and Russia fought for the right to vote, 
tremendous progress has been made in advancing women's rights. 
Unfortunately, many women here at home and abroad still suffer.
  In the last year, through America's increased involvement in foreign 
countries, our attention has been drawn to both the gains and 
shortcomings in the advancement of women's rights. In Afghanistan, 
although more girls are attending school than ever before in the 
country's history, tremendous security concerns remain. In rural areas 
especially, many women and girls choose to remain indoors because they 
are frequently targeted by armed warlords. This makes it impossible for 
them to attend school, go to work, or actively participate in the 
country's reconstruction.
  Afghan women are also concerned with the widespread prevalence of 
forced marriage, and rape. In some cases, girls as young as 8 years old 
are forced into marriage with much older men. Although I am glad to see 
that the new Afghan constitution guarantees equal rights for all, I 
recognize the difference between putting high ideals down on paper and 
putting them into practice. Women's programs in Afghanistan have not 
been funded at proposed levels and it is unacceptable.
  As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have been a 
strong supporter of Afghan aid, especially for women. I worked very 
hard to include an amendment to provide $60 million for Afghan women's 
programs in the fiscal year 2004 Iraq/Afghanistan supplemental 
appropriations bill, because it is of the utmost importance that women 
play an active role in the country's political and economic 
reconstruction.
  In Iraq as well, we must demand that the promises made to women 
become a reality. The interim constitution sets a 25 percent quota for 
women in the transitional assembly, and the preamble of the document 
makes clear that Iraqis are equal without regard to sex, sect, religion 
or other considerations. However, this is far removed from what women's 
groups initially asked for. The 25-member Iraqi Governing Council has 
only three women members, only one women sits in the Iraqi Cabinet, and 
of the 18 provincial governors, none are women. This has resulted in a 
vast shortage of women from all the decision-making bodies in the new 
Iraq.
  In addition to following through with our commitment to women in Iraq 
and Afghanistan, we must also do a better job of drawing attention to 
the other millions of women around the globe who suffer from legal and 
political discrimination, domestic violence, inadequate medical care, 
illiteracy, and other social injustices.
  The worldwide theme for International Women's Day this year is 
``Women and HIV/AIDS.'' This is because the disease is having an 
increasingly devastating impact on females. Throughout the world, girls 
and young women now make up nearly two thirds of those below the age of 
24 living with HIV, and new infections are rising fastest among married 
women infected by their husbands.
  In order to stem this trend, women must be involved in the solution. 
This will involve providing women with better education and better 
healthcare. The U.N. properly recognizes that no enduring solution to 
any of society's social, economic and political ills can be found 
without the full participation, and the full empowerment of women.
  In Africa alone, poor healthcare and poor education among women is 
one of the greatest challenges to development. Because women are the 
primary caretakers of children and the elderly, families face an 
additional burden when mothers are in poor health and poorly educated. 
Unfortunately, it has taken a global pandemic to remind us how 
important it is to support education and healthcare improvements for 
women.
  Domestic violence is another enormous problem facing women. Not only 
abroad, but here at home as well, countless women are the targets of 
brutality simply because of their gender. The impact of domestic 
violence toward women is profound and it is often overlooked.
  The World Health Organization asserts that domestic violence causes 
more deaths and disabilities among women between ages 15 and 44 than 
cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and

[[Page S2459]]

war. Every day, thousands of women are made to be victims of rape, 
genital mutilation, sexual assault, honor killings, sexual trafficking, 
female infanticide, forced sterilization, and forced abortion. These 
things are very unpleasant to talk about, and for most of us, their 
occurrence is hard to comprehend. Many ask, how is it possible that in 
this age of technology and global communication, so many still suffer 
from the barbaric practices of the past?
  As a global leader, the United States has a responsibility to bring 
attention to these types of questions, because progress can only be 
made by recognizing and addressing the unfortunate realities that still 
exist. In the upcoming year, as the international community seeks to 
rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as bring stability to other 
tenuous parts of the world, let us renew our focus on the importance of 
advancing the causes of women.
  Today, as we recognize International Women's day, I am reminded of 
the inscription on the Women's Suffrage Monument in the Capital 
Rotunda. The inscription reads:

       Principle not policy, Justice not Favor, Men, their rights 
     and nothing more. Women, their rights and nothing less.

  Mr. NICKLES. I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble be 
agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and 
any statements be printed in the Record without intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 315) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 315

       Whereas all over the world women are contributing to the 
     growth of economies, participating in the world of diplomacy 
     and politics, and improving the quality of the lives of their 
     families, communities, and nations;
       Whereas discrimination continues to deny women full 
     political and economic equality and is often the basis for 
     violations of women's basic human rights;
       Whereas worldwide, the lives and health of women and girls 
     continue to be endangered by violence that is directed at 
     them simply because of their gender;
       Whereas worldwide, violence against women includes rape, 
     genital mutilation, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating 
     violence, honor killings, sexual trafficking in women, dowry-
     related violence, female infanticide, sex-selection abortion, 
     forced pregnancy, forced sterilization, and forced abortion;
       Whereas the World Health Organization asserts that domestic 
     violence causes more deaths and disability among women 
     between ages 15 and 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic 
     accidents, and war;
       Whereas 130,000,000 girls and young women have been 
     subjected to female genital mutilation, and it is estimated 
     that 10,000 girls are at risk of being subjected to this 
     practice in the United States and more than 160,000 girls and 
     women in immigrant communities in the United States may have 
     been victims of the traditional practice of female genital 
     mutilation or are at risk of being subjected to it;
       Whereas worldwide, at least 1 in 3 women has been beaten or 
     sexually abused in her lifetime;
       Whereas 1 in 6 women in the United States has experienced 
     an attempted or completed sexual assault and 1 in 5 women 
     reported she had been raped or physically or sexually 
     assaulted in her lifetime;
       Whereas in the United States, a woman is battered, usually 
     by her intimate partner, every 15 seconds;
       Whereas over 300,000 women each year experience intimate 
     partner violence during their pregnancy;
       Whereas more than 3 women are murdered by their husbands or 
     boyfriends in the United States every day;
       Whereas nearly 25 percent of American women report being 
     raped or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, 
     cohabiting partner, or date at some time in their lifetime;
       Whereas in the United States, battering is the leading 
     cause of injury to women between ages 15 and 44;
       Whereas it is estimated that 1 in 5 adolescent girls in the 
     United States becomes a victim of physical or sexual abuse, 
     or both, in a dating relationship;
       Whereas worldwide, 20 to 50 percent of women experience 
     some degree of domestic violence during marriage;
       Whereas worldwide, women account for \1/2\ of all cases of 
     HIV/AIDS, approximately 42,000,000, and in countries with 
     high HIV prevalence, young women are at a higher risk than 
     young men of contracting HIV;
       Whereas worldwide, sexual violence, including marital rape, 
     has been announced as a major cause of the rapid spread of 
     HIV/AIDS among women;
       Whereas \2/3\ of the world's nearly 1,000,000,000 
     illiterate individuals are women;
       Whereas worldwide, girls are less likely to complete school 
     than boys;
       Whereas \2/3\ of children denied primary education are 
     girls;
       Whereas in most countries, women work approximately twice 
     the unpaid time men do;
       Whereas about 3 in 10 households are maintained by women 
     with no husband present;
       Whereas rural women produce more than 55 percent of all 
     food grown in developing countries;
       Whereas women comprise almost 15 percent of the active 
     duty, reserve, and guard units of the United States Armed 
     Forces;
       Whereas it is estimated that women and girls make up more 
     than 70 percent of the 1,300,000,000 poorest people in the 
     world;
       Whereas women work \2/3\ of the world's working hours, and 
     produce \1/2\ of the world's food, yet earn only 1 percent of 
     the world's income, and own less than 1 percent of the 
     world's property;
       Whereas worldwide women still earn less, own less property, 
     and have less access to education, employment, and health 
     care than do men;
       Whereas between 75 and 80 percent of the world's 27,000,000 
     refugees are women and children;
       Whereas illegal trafficking worldwide for forced labor, 
     domestic servitude, or sexual exploitation involves between 
     1,000,000 and 2,000,000 women and children each year, of whom 
     50,000 are transported to the United States;
       Whereas as many as 750,000 women and children have been 
     trafficked into the United States over the last decade;
       Whereas March 8 has become known as International Women's 
     Day for the last century, and is a day on which people, often 
     divided by ethnicity, language, culture, and income, come 
     together to celebrate a common struggle for women's equality, 
     justice, and peace;
       Whereas the dedication and success of those working all 
     over the world to end violence against women and girls and 
     fighting for equality should be recognized; and
       Whereas the people of the United States should be 
     encouraged to participate in International Women's Day: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 8, 2004, as International Women's Day;
       (2) reaffirms its commitment to--
       (A) ending discrimination and violence against women;
       (B) ensuring the safety and welfare of women; and
       (C) pursuing policies that guarantee the basic rights of 
     women both in the United States and in the world; and
       (3) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling upon the people of the United States to observe 
     ``International Women's Day'' with appropriate programs and 
     activities.

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