[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 38 (Monday, March 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E469-E470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             100TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSS CARNAHAN

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 14, 2011

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in commemoration of the 100th 
anniversary of International Women's Day.
  Over 15 years has passed since Hillary Clinton famously declared in 
Beijing that women's rights are human rights. Since then, we have seen 
considerable gains in momentum surrounding the importance of women's 
empowerment, not only as a matter of equality--but importantly--as good 
development and national security policy. Nevertheless, despite the 
growing call for women's rights and elevation of their roles in 
decision-making processes, there is still much more progress to be 
made.
  Today, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by extreme 
poverty, making up 70% of the world's 1 billion people who live off 
less than $1 per day. While women account for over half of the 
population, they occupy slightly less than 19% of seats in national 
parliaments on average worldwide. They are vastly more vulnerable in 
the face of crisis; four of every five people displaced by war or 
natural disaster are women and children. Women continue to face broad 
challenges such as access to health care, education and economic 
opportunities, lack of legal rights and judicial process, and targets 
of trafficking and sexual and gender-based violence.
  While the world's women face daunting obstacles, they are also the 
most promising and untapped agents of change. What has become 
increasingly clear is everyone benefits when women and girls have 
access to equal educational, political, and economic opportunities. 
When women are free to earn a living--as farmers, entrepreneurs, 
business owners, etc.--they make their families and communities 
stronger and more secure. When women and girls have access to 
educational opportunities, their empowerment allows families and entire 
communities to flourish and prosper. And evidence shows that when women 
are empowered to engage in the political process, governments are more 
effective and responsive to their people.
  The world simply cannot achieve lasting peace and prosperity if half 
of the population is not empowered. For real advancement in women's 
rights, we must take a comprehensive approach that combats all 
barriers--physical, economic, socio-cultural, psychological and 
otherwise--to women's equality.
  On this 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, let us 
celebrate the strides we have made in advancing women's rights, and 
therefore, human rights and human progress. Let us also reaffirm our 
commitment to continue these gains until women and men, girls and boys, 
have equal opportunities to realize their hopes and dreams on every 
corner of the globe.
  I have also included a statement on behalf of Peace X Peace, a 
nonprofit organization dedicated to lifting women's voices, 
strengthening women's capacity to connect across divides, promoting 
leadership and gender equity, and nurturing the global network of 
peacebuilders.
  On this 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, Peace X Peace 
(www.peacexpeace.org) stands proudly for peace and justice in 
solidarity with women around the world, especially those who are

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engaged in the struggle for human rights. We stand with all those who 
uphold the right of women and men to self-expression, self-
determination, and a decent standard of living for themselves and their 
families. We stand for the efforts of all women to have an equal voice 
and representation in their communities and nations. We stand for 
connection, not division: for building bridges of understanding across 
every divide.
  We celebrate the power of mothers, sisters, and daughters to nurture 
the feminine in themselves and others, to remind us that we win when we 
win together and we all lose when we practice violence, revenge, 
demeaning the 'other' and spreading fear of those who are different 
from ourselves. Women by every name have the same message, and it's our 
message too: Love and respect one another, and win peace by peaceful 
means--voice by voice, peace by peace.

                          ____________________