[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 38 (Thursday, March 6, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S1360]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, March 8 is International Women's Day--a 
day when we can celebrate the enormous advances women have made while 
pledging to continue to work for greater opportunity for all women.
  Rooted in the long-term struggle for equality, International Women's 
Day has been observed since a time when American women were fighting 
for basic rights, such as voting or fair employment. Today, we see 
women breaking ground and becoming leaders in business, government, and 
the military--both here in the United States and overseas. While this 
is encouraging, many women around the world continue to face 
significant social and economic obstacles.
  The official United Nations theme for this International Women's Day 
is ``Equality for women is progress for all.'' I couldn't agree more; 
empowering women is one of the most critical tools in our toolbox to 
fight poverty and injustice.
  According to some reports, women represent nearly 70 percent of the 
world's poor. In many regions of the world, a woman's ability to earn a 
sustained income is severely limited by cultural norms and a lack of 
opportunity.
  Economically empowering women is one of the most important tools we 
have to alleviate poverty. Women around the world participate in the 
political, social, and economic life of their communities and play a 
predominate role in providing and caring for their families. Research 
has shown that men only reinvest 30-40 percent of their income into 
their households, while women reinvest 90 percent--choosing to spend 
their money on food, clean water, education and health care. Greater 
economic opportunity and earning capacity also increases equality and 
mutual respect within households, reducing women's vulnerability to 
domestic abuse.
  Until women around the world have improved access to economic, 
political, and social opportunities, many of the great challenges we 
face today, from pervasive global poverty to violent extremism, will go 
unresolved.
  We must continue to promote women's leadership and integrate gender 
perspectives in our development and foreign assistance programs. 
Advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in this realm will 
not only lead to increased productivity and income for women but can 
have a positive impact for generations to come.
  I urge all my colleagues to work together to call attention to the 
injustices women face around the world and to work to implement laws 
and policies that advance the cause of women both at home and abroad.

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