[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CAROL SHEA-PORTER

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 10, 2009

  Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
International Women's Day. Globally, women have made great advances in 
recent years. Currently, there is the largest number of women serving 
in Congress in the history of the United States, including 9 new female 
members of the House of Representatives and 3 new female Senators. 
Between 1945 and 1995, the number of woman parliamentarians 
internationally quadrupled. Women like Benazir Bhutto, the first woman 
prime minister of a Muslim country, are demonstrative of the truly 
universal role women are playing in leadership and the progress we have 
made.
  While these numbers are encouraging, there is still a long journey to 
true global equality for women. Seventy percent of the 1.2 billion 
individuals living in poverty are women. Similarly, eighty percent of 
world's refugees are women. While women control $14 trillion in assets, 
they only own 1 percent of the world's land. Women are responsible for 
two-thirds of the world's work, but are paid only 10 percent of the 
world's income. In third-world countries, women continue to be 
oppressed, mutilated, and trafficked and they do not have the 
representation to stand up to these injustices.
  As a woman, I wanted to take the opportunity to speak to the progress 
we have made and the progress we have yet to achieve. I look forward to 
working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure the continued progress 
for women internationally and at home.

                          ____________________