[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 38 (Thursday, March 8, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1497-S1501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I come to the floor to join my colleagues
to mark International Women's Day. This day, which across the globe is
celebrated in many different ways, is, at its core, a day to reflect on
the achievements of women in politics, business, and society. It is a
day to reflect on what a woman's role was in the not-so-distant past
and to celebrate how far we have come. But, unfortunately, on this
International Women's Day in the year 2012, we cannot celebrate the
progress we have made without also acknowledging the unsettling truth
that that progress is under threat.
Today a shadow has been cast over this day of celebration by efforts
to turn back the clock in Washington, DC, and across the country,
efforts we all must fight against. Only 1 week ago in the Senate, we
had a debate on the ability for women across this country to access
contraceptives. It is a debate most women believed was settled half a
century ago and one we had all hoped was in the past. However, in a
scene that was eerily reminiscent of half a century ago, last week one
woman brave enough to come forward and give voice to the importance of
birth control was targeted. First, her story of a friend's battle with
ovarian cancer was purposely left out of a House hearing on women's
health. Then, as we have all heard, she was scorned and ridiculed by a
rightwing pundit.
It was a galvanizing and eye-opening moment for millions of women in
our country. It was a reminder that some still see women as easy
targets, and it awakened many women to the fact that the gains we are
meant to celebrate on a day such as today could easily be lost to
political strategy that preys on women.
For many of those who watched the last few weeks play out, it may
have seemed an isolated incident. It could appear to some as a sudden
and swift effort by some Republicans--who thankfully have been blocked
for the time being--but that is not case. The truth is, women's access
to care has rarely been at greater risk. From the moment they came into
power, the Republicans in the House of Representatives have been waging
a war on women's health.
If you don't believe me, look at the very first bills they introduced
when they arrived. They campaigned across the country in the last
election on a platform of jobs and the economy, but the first three
bills they introduced when they got here were direct attacks on women's
health. The very first one, H.R. 1, would have totally eliminated title
X funding for family planning and teen pregnancy prevention. The
amendment also included defunding Planned Parenthood and cutting off
support for the millions of women who count on it. Another one of their
bills would have permanently codified the Hyde amendment and the DC
abortion ban.
Finally, they introduced a bill that would have rolled back every
single one of the gains we made for women in the health care reform
bill. That Republican bill would have removed the caps on out-of-pocket
expenses that literally protect women from losing their homes or their
life savings if they get sick. It would have ended the ban on lifetime
limits on coverage, which is so important to everyone. It would have
allowed insurance companies to once again discriminate against women by
charging them higher premiums than men or even denying women care
because of so-called preexisting conditions they had, such as
pregnancy. It would have rolled back the guarantee of insurance
companies' coverage of contraceptives.
Republicans have shown they will go to just about any length to limit
access to women's care, even shutting down the Federal Government. That
may seem extreme to all, but that is exactly what happened 1 year ago
when Republicans nearly shut down the Federal Government over a rider
that was yet another attempt to go after title X and Planned
Parenthood. I remember sitting in those meetings late at night, after
months of negotiations over the numbers in the budget, astonished that
Republicans were willing to throw all those negotiations away over one
issue, and that was their attack on women's health.
The attack on women's rights is not just taking place in the Nation's
Capital. In State after State across the country, legislators bent on
putting politics between women and their health care are undoing years
of important work. A recently enacted law in Texas not only strips
women of their rights but of their dignity. It is a law about which
Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times recently wrote a column.
I ask unanimous consent to have the article written by Nicholas
Kristof, ``When States Abuse Women,'' printed in the Record at the
conclusion of my remarks.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
(See exhibit 1.)
Mrs. MURRAY. It is a law that all women across the country should be
insulted by and outraged over. Today, nearly 40 years after Roe v. Wade
was passed, a woman in Texas who seeks an abortion--one of the most
difficult choices a woman and her family can face--is not met with
compassion and care but with humiliation, and that is because they have
passed a law by Republicans that she is now subjected, against her
will, to a vaginal ultrasound. Then she is instructed to listen to a
fetal heartbeat, watch the ultrasound and numerous other State-mandated
hurdles and then she has to go home and wait 24 hours before she can
access a health care procedure that was made a right for women four
decades ago.
One would think that after 2 years spent railing against any
government involvement in health care, Republicans would not want the
State to dictate procedures a doctor must perform on a woman, whether
she wants them or not, but then you would be confused because, clearly,
when it comes to women and their health care choices, these Republicans
are willing to do whatever it takes for them to call the shots--not the
women, not their doctors, not their families. The sad part is other
States across the country are now contemplating similar laws.
So the threats to women's health care are very real and they are
growing. We saw it on a panel on contraceptives in the House that
didn't include a woman on the panel. We saw it in a young woman being
called horrible names for telling the stories of a friend
[[Page S1498]]
in need. We see it in Republican efforts to allow an employer to
dictate whether a woman has access to contraceptives, and we are seeing
it in State laws across the country aimed at stripping women of their
rights and more.
So on this International Women's Day, we celebrate our gains with the
clear understanding that they must always be defended, and we join with
women everywhere to make sure that progress is not reversed.
Exhibit 1
[The New York Times, Mar. 3, 2012]
When States Abuse Women
(By Nicholas D. Kristof)
Here's what a woman in Texas now faces if she seeks an
abortion.
Under a new law that took effect three weeks ago with the
strong backing of Gov. Rick Perry, she first must typically
endure an ultrasound probe inserted into her vagina. Then she
listens to the audio thumping of the fetal heartbeat and
watches the fetus on an ultrasound screen.
She must listen to a doctor explain the body parts and
internal organs of the fetus as they're shown on the monitor.
She signs a document saying that she understands all this,
and it is placed in her medical files. Finally, she goes home
and must wait 24 hours before returning to get the abortion.
``It's state-sanctioned abuse,'' said Dr. Curtis Boyd, a
Texas physician who provides abortions. ``It borders on a
definition of rape. Many states describe rape as putting any
object into an orifice against a person's will. Well, that's
what this is. A woman is coerced to do this, just as I'm
coerced.''
``The state of Texas is waging war on women and their
families,'' Dr. Boyd added. ``The new law is demeaning and
disrespectful to the women of Texas, and insulting to the
doctors and nurses who care for them.''
That law is part of a war over women's health being fought
around the country--and in much of the country, women are
losing. State by state, legislatures are creating new
obstacles to abortions and are treating women in ways that
are patronizing and humiliating.
Twenty states now require abortion providers to conduct
ultrasounds first in some situations, according to the
Guttmacher Institute, a research organization. The new Texas
law is the most extreme to take effect so far, but similar
laws have been passed in North Carolina and Oklahoma and are
on hold pending legal battles.
Alabama, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Mississippi are also
considering Texas-style legislation bordering on state-
sanctioned rape. And what else do you call it when states
mandate invasive probes in women's bodies?
``If you look up the term rape, that's what it is: the
penetration of the vagina without the woman's consent,'' said
Linda Coleman, an Alabama state senator who is fighting the
proposal in her state. ``As a woman, I am livid and
outraged.''
States put in place a record number of new restrictions on
abortions last year, Guttmacher says. It counts 92 new curbs
in 24 states.
``It was a debacle,'' Elizabeth Nash, who manages state
issues for Guttmacher, told me. ``It's been awful. Last year
was unbelievable. We've never seen anything like it.''
Yes, there have been a few victories for women. The
notorious Virginia proposal that would have required vaginal
ultrasounds before an abortion was modified to require only
abdominal ultrasounds.
Yet over all, the pattern has been retrograde: humiliating
obstacles to abortions, cuts in family-planning programs, and
limits on comprehensive sex education in schools.
If Texas legislators wanted to reduce abortions, the
obvious approach would be to reduce unwanted pregnancies. The
small proportion of women and girls who aren't using
contraceptives account for half of all abortions in America,
according to Guttmacher. Yet Texas has some of the weakest
sex-education programs in the nation, and last year it cut
spending for family planning by 66 percent.
The new Texas law was passed last year but was held up
because of a lawsuit by the Center for Reproductive Rights.
In a scathing opinion, Judge Sam Sparks of Federal District
Court described the law as ``an attempt by the Texas
legislature to discourage women from exercising their
constitutional rights.'' In the end, the courts upheld the
law, and it took effect last month.
It requires abortion providers to give women a list of
crisis pregnancy centers where, in theory, they can get
unbiased counseling and in some cases ultrasounds. In fact,
these centers are often set up to ensnare pregnant women and
shame them or hound them if they are considering abortions.
``They are traps for women, set up by the state of Texas,''
Dr. Boyd said.
The law then requires the physician to go over a
politicized list of so-called dangers of abortion, like ``the
risks of infection and hemorrhage'' and ``the possibility of
increased risk of breast cancer.'' Then there is the mandated
ultrasound, which in the first trimester normally means a
vaginal ultrasound. Doctors sometimes seek vaginal
ultrasounds before an abortion, with the patient's consent,
but it's different when the state forces women to undergo the
procedure.
The best formulation on this topic was Bill Clinton's, that
abortion should be ``safe, legal and rare.'' Achieving that
isn't easy, and there is no silver bullet to reduce unwanted
pregnancies. But family planning and comprehensive sex
education are a surer path than demeaning vulnerable women
with state-sanctioned abuse and humiliation.
I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Maryland.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I thank Senator Murray for her comments,
and I concur in her observations. What we have seen on women's health
care issues in this body is how some are trying to turn the clock back
on the progress we have made. I was listening to my colleague talk
about ultrasounds. Virginia just enacted an ultrasound bill this week.
The Governor signed it into law, so this is spreading to other States.
We talk about big government, but the government mandating ultrasounds
for pregnant women? This is outrageous and something that on
International Women's Day, it is right that we bring this to the
attention of our colleagues. We have seen the same type of action taken
against family planning, contraceptives, those who want to repeal Roe
v. Wade. We have to stand strong with women and women's health care
issues as we in America lead the international community.
Around the world, International Women's Day is an occasion to honor
and praise women for their accomplishments. On this International
Women's Day, I stand with my colleagues to celebrate women who are
making a difference both in America and around the world, in countries
where they lead in the fight for justice, equality, and fairness for
all women. All of us, women and men alike, can help by supporting
women's efforts to claim their legal rights, live free from violence,
earn a decent income, get an education, grow food for their families,
and make their voices heard in their communities and beyond.
I believe in the power of women to change the world and to help them
hasten that change. U.S. international assistance policies should
address and remove barriers between women, women's rights, and economic
empowerment. Empowering women is one of the most critical tools in our
toolbox to fight poverty and injustice. Integrating the unique needs of
women into our domestic and international policies is critical. As
chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International
Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs, and International
Environmental Protection, I can attest that this must be the bedrock of
our foreign assistance programming if it is to be successful.
I defy anyone's assertion that women's empowerment should take a
backseat to so-called more important priorities. Decades of research
and experience prove that when women are able to be fully engaged in
society and hold decisionmaking power, they are more likely to invest
their income in food, clean water, education, and health care for their
children. This creates a positive cycle change that lifts entire
families and communities and nations out of poverty. Simply put, when
women succeed, we all do.
Accordingly, I was very pleased by last week's release of the new
USAID ``Policy on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment,'' which makes
integrating gender and including women and girls central to all U.S.
international assistance. This policy, which updates guidelines that
were over 30 years old, recognizes that the integration of women and
girls is basic to effective international assistance across all sectors
such as food, security, health, climate change, science, technology,
economic growth, democracy and governance and humanitarian assistance.
It aims to increase the capacity of women and girls and decrease
inequality between genders and also decrease gender-based violence.
This new policy is as welcomed as it is necessary. As Secretary Clinton
declared earlier this year:
Achieving our objectives for global development will demand
accelerated efforts to achieve gender equality and women's
empowerment. Otherwise, peace and prosperity will have their
own glass ceiling.
Unfortunately, as we know, there are still places this glass ceiling
exists and there are major obstacles to women. Worldwide, one in three
women will experience some form of violence in her
[[Page S1499]]
lifetime. Women and girls in emergencies, conflict settings, and
natural disasters often face extreme violence, including being forced
to exchange sex for food. The World Health Organization has reported
that up to 70 percent of women in some countries describe having been
victims of domestic violence at some stage in their lives.
The United States has the potential to be a true leader in preventing
and responding to violence against women and girls--an issue that is
inextricably linked to U.S. diplomacy, development, and national
security goals.
What many people fail to realize is that violence against women and
girls is both a major consequence and cause of poverty. Violence and
poverty go hand in hand. Violence prevents women and girls from getting
an education, going to work, and earning the income they need to lift
their families out of poverty. We know that one in three women will be
the victim of sexual abuse in her lifetime. But we also know that women
have the potential to lift their families and communities out of
poverty.
Violence against women and girls is an extreme human rights
violation, a public health epidemic, and a barrier to solving severe
challenges such as extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS, and conflict. It
devastates the lives of millions of women and girls--in peacetime and
in conflict--and knows no national and cultural barriers.
Today let's reaffirm our commitment to end gender-based
discrimination in all forms, to end violence against women and girls
worldwide, and to encourage the people of the United States to observe
International Women's Day. On this day and every day, I am proud to
stand in support of women across America and worldwide.
Investing in and focusing on empowering women and girls is one of the
most efficient uses of our foreign assistance dollars and one of the
best ways to make the world more peaceful and prosperous. As Secretary
of State Clinton pointed out more than 15 years ago, ``Women's rights
are human rights''--and nothing is more fundamental, in my opinion.
With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New Hampshire.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I am very pleased to join my colleagues
Senator Cardin and, earlier, Senator Murray this morning in
commemorating International Women's Day. It is a day observed around
the world, and it celebrates the economic, political, and social
achievement of women--past, present, and future. It is a day that
recognizes the obstacles women still face in the struggle for equal
rights and equal opportunities.
One year ago today, I, along with a group of bipartisan Senators,
introduced and passed a resolution in the Senate recognizing the
significance of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.
Today is the 101st anniversary and, as is the centennial milestone
before it, it is a testament to the dedication and determination of
women and men around the world to address gender inequality for the
good of all people.
There are more than 3.3 billion women in the world today. Across the
globe, women are participating in the political, social, and economic
life of their communities in an unprecedented fashion, playing a
critical role in providing and caring for their families, contributing
substantially to the growth of economies, and advancing food security
for their communities.
Yesterday I had the wonderful, humbling, and inspiring opportunity to
recognize and celebrate the 10 recipients of the 2012 State Department
International Women of Courage Award. This prestigious award, which is
the only award in the State Department given only to women, annually
recognizes women who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in
advocating for women's rights and empowerment around the globe, often
at significant risk to themselves. These award winners, including
activists in the Sudan and Saudi Arabia, politicians in Turkey and
Afghanistan, and representatives from six other countries, are truly
remarkable and inspirational women.
I ask unanimous consent to have all of their names and brief bios
printed in the Record so that they are properly recognized by the
Senate.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Afghanistan
Maryam Durani--Director, Khadija Kubra Women's Association
for Culture, Kandahar Provincial Council Member.
Award Citation: ``For striving to give a voice to women
through the power of the media, government, and civil
society, despite innumerable security and societal
challenges.''
Bio: Kandahar Province is among Afghanistan's most
conservative and most dangerous--but that has not stopped
Maryam Durani from speaking out for the rights of Afghan
women and girls. As a member of Kandahar's Provincial
Council, director of the non-profit Khadija Kubra Women's
Association for Culture, and owner and manager of the only
local, female-focused radio station, she is both a leader and
a role model for women throughout Afghanistan. A true woman
of courage, Ms. Durani has survived multiple attacks on her
life, including a suicide attack in 2009 that resulted in
serious injury. Although she continues to face regular
threats, she is undeterred in her mission to promote basic
civil rights for all Afghans.
____
Brazil
Major Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo--General Coordinator for
Strategic Programs, Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat of
Public Security, and Major of Rio State Military Police.
Award Citation: ``For courageous and dedicated service to
Rio State's innovative ``Favela Pacification Program'' as the
first female commander of a Pacification Police Unit
(community police station), and as coordinator of UPPs in the
State Security Secretariat, where she is integrating
previously marginalized populations into the larger Rio de
Janeiro community.''
Bio: Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo is a military police
officer, currently working as General Coordinator of
Strategic Programs for the ``Police Pacification Units''
(UPPs), Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat of Public Security's
renowned ``favela'' (slum) pacification program. Major
Azevedo joined the Rio de Janeiro Military police in 1998
and, following her graduation in 2000, started working in
police battalions and street repression operations. In 2007,
Major Azevedo demonstrated extreme courage and commitment to
her duties by successfully arresting a gang of criminals who
had kidnapped her.
As a result of her courage and success, the Rio de Janeiro
State Secretary for Security invited her to head the first
UPP in Rio de Janeiro, in the ``favela'' of Santa Marta, a
position she occupied between 2008 to 2010. In this capacity,
she commanded 125 military police officers in an area with
9,000 inhabitants and a very low human development index.
During her two years in Santa Marta, Major Azevedo shut down
drug dealing operations in the favela, established conflict
mediation models, worked with state and local government
institutions to improve garbage collection and health care,
broadened education and technical training opportunities, and
developed a successful community arts and crafts fair.
In 2009, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes invited Major
Pricilla to become a member of the Brazilian delegation in
the 2016 Olympics Announcement in Copenhagen. In the same
year she completed training on Koban community policing
techniques, and participated in a citizen safety training in
Israel. Major Azevedo is currently completing her law degree
in Estacio de Sa University.
Major Azevedo is the most senior female officer in the UPP
program, and the first woman to occupy a strategic position
in the Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat of Security's
Superintendence of Operational Planning. She has received
honor awards from the city councils of Rio de Janeiro, Tangua
and Itaborai. She is also a recipient of the United Nations
Brazilian Force's 50th Anniversary Medal. In 2009, Veja
Magazine gave Major Pricilla Azevedo the Rio de Janeiro
Personality of the Year Award, with the title of ``Defender
of the City''.
____
Burma
Zin Mar Aung--Democracy Activist.
Award Citation: ``For championing democracy, strengthening
civil society, and empowering individuals to contribute
meaningfully to the political transformation of Burma.''
Bio: Zin Mar Aung is a former political prisoner,
imprisoned for eleven years because of her political
activism. She has dedicated her life to promdting democracy,
women's empowerment, and conflict resolution in Burma.
Following her involvement in the 1996 and 1998 pro-democracy
student uprisings and subsequent imprisonment, Zin Mar Aung
established a cultural impact studies group to promote the
idea that democracy is compatible with Asian culture. She
also created and leads a self-help association for female ex-
political prisoners and a school of political science in
Rangoon, all of which teach and empower others in Burma's
changing but still challenging environment for civil society
and democracy activists. She is co-founder of RAINFALL, a
women's empowerment group; and is currently spearheading an
organization to raise awareness of issues affecting ethnic
minorities in conflict areas.
[[Page S1500]]
____
Colombia
Jineth Bedoya Lima--Journalist and Spokeswoman of the
``Rape and Other Violence: Take my Body Out of the War''
Campaign.
Award Citation: ``For her unfailing courage, determination,
and perseverance fighting for justice and speaking out on
behalf of victims of sexual violence in Colombia.''
Bio: Throughout her 15-year career as an investigative
journalist, Jineth Bedoya has consistently sought out tough
assignments, despite knowing the risks it could entail. In
2000, she began to uncover an arms smuggling network between
government security forces and imprisoned paramilitaries in a
maximum security prison. On May 25, 2000, as she arrived at
the prison to interview a key paramilitary member, unknown
men grabbed Jineth, threw her into a vehicle, drugged her,
and drove her to a farm several hours outside Bogota. There,
the men repeatedly raped her, bound her, and left her in a
garbage dump at the side of a road where a taxi driver
discovered her later that evening. As the men raped her, they
told her, ``Pay attention. We are sending a message to the
press in Colombia.'' Since this horrifying incident nearly 12
years ago, Jineth has continued her work as an investigative
journalist while pushing for justice in her own case and
other unsolved cases of sexual violence. Jineth has become an
inspiration not only for female journalists, but for all
women who are demanding justice in their own cases. Since
September 2009, she has served as spokeswoman of Oxfam's
campaign, ``Rape and Other Violence: Take my Body out of the
War.'' She now appears in TV ads denouncing sexual violence
as part of the campaign and has used her journalistic
influence to draw more attention to the issues of sexual
violence and impunity.
____
Libya
Hana Elhebshi--Freelance Activist.
Award Citation: ``For courageous advancement of the cause
of freedom of expression and promotion of women's rights
during times of conflict and transition in Libya.''
Bio: Ms. Hana El Hebshi is a 26-year-old Libyan architect
who, during the long months of the Libyan revolution, became
a symbol of solidarity and a model of courage to many across
the country. Working under the pseudonym ``Numidia,'' a
reference to the ancient Berber kingdom and to her own Berber
heritage, Hana contributed greatly to proper documentation of
the violence and tumult of the revolution. She also became a
symbol of hope to the Libyan people that the world was aware
of the suffering they were enduring and that hope was on the
way.
Thanks to her contribution to freedom of expression and
advancing women's rights, she became a real symbol for the
Libyan women's contribution to the revolution.
Post revolution, Hana, in addition to her work as an
architect, will continue to play a leadership role in women's
empowerment in Libya.
____
Maldives
Aneesa Ahmed--Founder Member and Chairperson, Hope for
Women NGO.
Award Citation: ``For courageous advocacy for women's
rights and protection from domestic violence.''
Bio: Aneesa Ahmed stands out as a staunch advocate for
ending gender-based violence in Maldives. While serving as
Deputy Minister of Women's Affairs, Ms. Ahmed raised the
issue of domestic violence at a time when the subject was
taboo in Maldives. As a member of the National Women's
Council, she held focus group discussions and worked with a
local NGO to produce a series of short documentary films on
domestic violence that had a profound impact on altering
public views of domestic violence. In 2009, Ms. Ahmed played
an instrumental role in organizing a coalition of NGOs and
individuals who are advocating pioneering legislation on
domestic violence that is currently before the Maldivian
parliament. After leaving government service, she founded the
NGO ``Hope for Women'' and began conducting interactive
sessions on gender-based violence with high school students,
Maldives Police Services, and other frontline workers. When
religious scholars began identifying female circumcision as a
Sunnah in Islam on national radio, Ms. Ahmed asked the
government to intervene, and gave an interview to a local
news channel about the harmful effects of female
circumcision. By openly discussing issues like domestic
violence and female circumcision, and conducting awareness
workshops through Hope for Women NGO, Ms. Ahmed plays a key
role in bringing these issues into the public discourse and
pressing the government to take action.
____
Pakistan
Shad Begum--Executive Director, Anjuman Behbood-e-Khawateen
Talash.
Award Citation: ``For fearlessly championing Pakistani
women's political and economic rights and empowering the
disadvantaged and oppressed.''
Bio: Shad Begum is a courageous human rights activist and
leader who has changed the political context for women in the
extremely conservative district of Dir. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
As founder and executive director of Anjuman Behbood-e-
Khawateen Talash (the Union of Women's Welfare), Ms. Shad
provides political training, microcredit, primary education,
and health services to women in the most conservative areas
of Pakistan. Ms. Shad not only empowered the women of Dir to
vote and run for office, but she herself ran and won local
District Councilor seats in the 2001 and 2005 elections,
going against local conservatives who tried to ban female
participation. Despite numerous direct threats to her life
and her family, including recent calls for suicide attacks
against her by local extremists, Ms. Shad continues to work
out of Peshawar to improve the lives of women in the
communities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
____
Saudi Arabia
Samar Badawi--Human Rights Activist, Monitor of Human
Rights in Saudi Arabia.
Award Citation: ``For demonstrating significant courage in
her activism while becoming a champion in the struggle for
women's suffrage and legal rights in Saudi Arabia.''
Bio: In one of the world's most restrictive environments
for women, Samar Badawi is a powerful voice for two of the
most significant issues facing Saudi women: women's suffrage
and the guardianship system, under which women cannot marry,
work, or travel outside the country without the permission of
a guardian (male relative). In a landmark case, Badawi was
the first woman to sue her guardian (her father) for abusing
the legal system and preventing her from marrying the suitor
of her choice. Badawi is also the first woman to file a
lawsuit against the government demanding the right for women
to vote and participate in municipal elections. She launched
an online campaign to encourage other Saudi women to file
similar suits. The efforts of activists like Badawi helped
encourage a royal decree allowing women to vote and run for
office in future municipal elections, and to be appointed to
the Consultative Council.
____
Sudan
Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih--Human Rights Activist.
Award Citation: ``For giving a voice to the women and
children of Darfur and her fearless advocacy for the rights
of all marginalized Darfuris.''
Bio: Hailing from North Darfur, Hawa and her family were
forced to flee their home village in 2003 due to fighting
between Darfuri rebels and gonrnwt forces. As a result, she
spent much of her young adult life in Abu Shouk internally
displaced persons (IDP) camp in El Fasher, North Darfur,
where she emerged as a prominent human rights activist. After
graduating from the University of El Fasher, she worked on
issues of human rights, rule of law, and governance with the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and assisted
various NGOs working on human rights. Hawa became a voice for
the IDPs, speaking out about human rights abuses and
advocating for women's and children's rights in the IDP
camps. For her advocacy, Hawa has been persecuted and
detained on multiple occasions by the Government of Sudan. As
a result, she was forced to flee Sudan in 2011. In spite of
the personal harassment and political challenges that she has
faced, Hawa hopes to return to her homeland to continue
defending the rights of Darfuris, and in particular the
rights of women and children.
____
Turkey
Safak Pavey--Member of Parliament, Turkish General National
Assembly.
Award Citation: ``For her personal dignity and courage not
only in overcoming physical disabilities, but also emerging
as an effective local and global champion of the rights of
women, minority groups, refugees and disabled persons.''
Bio: Safak Pavey, the first disabled woman elected to the
Turkish Parliament, has demonstrated great personal dignity
in overcoming physical obstacles each and every day, while
locally and globally championing the rights of vulnerable
populations, including refugees and disabled persons. Whether
working in extreme conditions for the United Nations High
Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) in the Middle East, South Asia
and Africa, or acting as a lightning rod to spark the UN
Interagency Support Group for the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, Pavey has sought to turn her
disability into strength on a global level. Undaunted by her
own challenges, she is also an agent of change at home. Pavey
endeavored to foster acceptance for the Armenian community in
Turkey, and is one of a small number of non-Armenians who
wrote for the Armenian Turkish newspaper, Agos. After winning
a seat in the Turkish parliament in June 2011, Pavey is
continuing to empower and give voice to disabled persons,
women, and minority populations.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. This morning I wish to pick just one of these amazing
women and tell her story.
Shad Begum is the executive director of the Union of Women's Welfare
in one of the most extremely conservative districts in all of Pakistan.
As the founder and executive director of the program the Union of
Women's Welfare, she provides political training, microcredit, primary
education, and health services to women throughout her community. She
not only encouraged others to run for office, she herself ran for a
district counselor seat in 2001 and 2005, winning the seat against
local conservatives who tried to ban
[[Page S1501]]
women from participating. Despite numerous threats to her life and her
family, including calls for suicide attacks against her by local
extremists, she continues to work to improve the lives of women
throughout Pakistan.
Ms. Shad is one of 10 remarkable women the State Department honored
this year. Every one of these 10 stories is inspirational, but they
also represent literally millions of women around the globe who are out
there fighting and suffering to be heard. There are countless women who
don't receive the recognition they deserve and who continue to be
silenced by persecution and harassment. Today we recognize, honor, and
celebrate all of those nameless, faceless women around the world who
are continuing the fight.
Far too many women remain excluded from full participation in
society, to the detriment of their communities, their countries, and
the world. Although strides have been made in recent decades, women
across the globe continue to face significant obstacles in all aspects
of their lives, including the denial of basic human rights,
discrimination, and gender-based violence. According to the World Bank,
women make up 70 percent of all individuals living in poverty. Women
account for 64 percent of the adults worldwide who lack basic literacy
skills. Women continue to remain vastly underrepresented in national
and local governments around the world.
So there is no doubt that we have a lot of work to do, but all of
society benefits when women are more fully integrated into their
communities and their villages around the world. In the words of
President Obama, ``Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing
all humanity--men and women--to reach their full potential.''
As we reflect on the past, present, and future achievements of women,
I believe it is important to recognize the vital and untapped resource
that women represent for our world. The ability of women to realize
their full potential is critical to the ability of a nation to achieve
strong and lasting economic growth, political and social stability, and
enhanced security for all its people.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. I yield the floor and note the
absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I would also like to ask the permission
of the Chair to display this box during my remarks.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. ISAKSON. Thank you, Mr. President.
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