[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 3, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S1032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 433--SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF ``INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S 
                                 DAY''

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Mrs. 
Boxer) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 433

       Whereas there are more than 3,300,000,000 women in the 
     world;
       Whereas women around the world participate in the 
     political, social, and economic life of their communities and 
     play the predominant role in providing and caring for their 
     families;
       Whereas women, as both farmers and caregivers, play a 
     leading role in advancing food security for their families 
     and communities;
       Whereas the ability of women to realize their full 
     potential is critical to the ability of a nation to achieve 
     strong and lasting economic growth and political stability;
       Whereas according to the 2009 World Economic Forum Global 
     Gender Gap Report, ``[A] nation's competitiveness depends 
     significantly on whether and how it educates and utilizes its 
     female talent. To maximize its competitiveness and 
     development potential, each country should strive for gender 
     equality--that is, to give women the same rights, 
     responsibilities and opportunities as men.'';
       Whereas, also according to the same report, ``Every year of 
     schooling increases a girl's individual earning power by 10% 
     to 20%, while the return on secondary education is even 
     higher, in the 15% to 25% range. Additionally, women reinvest 
     90%of their income back into the household, whereas men 
     reinvest only 30% to 40%.'';
       Whereas according to President Barack Obama, ``Our 
     daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, 
     and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all 
     humanity--men and women--to reach their full potential.'';
       Whereas according to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham 
     Clinton, ``[I]nvesting in the potential of women to lift and 
     lead their societies is one of the best investments we can 
     make.'';
       Whereas despite some achievements made by individual women 
     leaders, women around the globe are still vastly 
     underrepresented in high level positions and in national and 
     local legislatures and governments and, according to the 
     Inter-Parliamentary Union, account for only 18.7 percent of 
     national parliamentarians;
       Whereas although strides have been made in recent decades, 
     women around the world continue to face significant obstacles 
     in all aspects of their lives including discrimination, 
     gender-based violence, and denial of basic human rights;
       Whereas women are responsible for 66 percent of the work 
     done in the world, yet earn only 10 percent of the income 
     earned in the world;
       Whereas women account for approximately 70 percent of 
     individuals living in poverty world-wide;
       Whereas women account for 64 percent of the 774,000,000 
     adults world-wide who lack basic literacy skills;
       Whereas girls account for 57 percent of the 72,000,000 
     primary school aged children in the world who do not attend 
     school;
       Whereas in Sub-Saharan Africa only 17 percent of girls 
     enroll in secondary school;
       Whereas women receive less than 10 percent of all available 
     credit in Africa, own less than 2 percent of the land in the 
     world, and account for only 15 percent of the agricultural 
     extension agents in the world, yet produce the majority of 
     the food crops in the world, including 70 percent of the food 
     crops in Africa;
       Whereas women in developing countries are 
     disproportionately affected by global climate change;
       Whereas according to the Joint United Nations Programme on 
     HIV/AIDS, women account for 50 percent of HIV or AIDS 
     infections worldwide, and nearly 60 percent of HIV infections 
     in Sub-Saharan Africa;
       Whereas according the Department of State, 56 percent of 
     all forced labor victims are women and girls;
       Whereas according to the United Nations, 1 in 3 women in 
     the world will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise 
     abused in her lifetime;
       Whereas according to the International Center for Research 
     on Women, there are more than 60,000,000 child brides in 
     developing countries, some of whom are as young as 7 years 
     old;
       Whereas March 8 is recognized each year as International 
     Women's Day, a global day to celebrate the economic, 
     political, and social achievements of women past, present, 
     and future and a day to recognize the obstacles that women 
     still face in the struggle for equal rights and 
     opportunities; and
       Whereas, the United Nations theme for International Women's 
     Day 2010 is ``Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for 
     all'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals of ``International Women's Day'';
       (2) recognizes that the economic growth and empowerment of 
     women is inextricably linked to the potential of nations to 
     generate economic growth and sustainable democracy;
       (3) recognizes and honors the women in the United States 
     and around the world who have worked throughout history to 
     strive to ensure that women are guaranteed equality and basic 
     human rights;
       (4) reaffirms the commitment to end gender-based 
     discrimination in all forms, to end violence against women 
     and girls worldwide; and
       (5) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     International Women's Day with appropriate programs and 
     activities.

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