[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5684-S5685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ADVANCING WOMEN'S RIGHTS

  Mr. LEAHY. Next year, the Nation will celebrate the 95th anniversary 
of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women, at long 
last, the right to vote. The result of more than four decades of 
advocacy from such giants of the women's equality movement as Susan B. 
Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the amendment was merely a first 
step in advancing women's rights.
  Since the ratification of the 19th Amendment, there has been 
considerable progress in the march for gender equality. The President's 
Commission on the Status of Women, established by President Kennedy and 
directed by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, in part led to formation of 
the National Organization for Women. NOW's core issues include two on 
which this Congress has been rightly focused: ending violence against 
women, and promoting economic justice.
  The country last week celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 
enactment of

[[Page S5685]]

the Violence Against Women Act. This landmark law shined a light on the 
scourge of domestic violence and improved the criminal justice system's 
response to these cases. Last year, Congress again came together to 
reauthorize and strengthen VAWA to address the evolving needs of 
domestic and sexual violence victims, and to ensure that those 
protections are available to all victims, regardless of sexual 
orientation, ethnicity, race or gender. The VAWA reauthorization law, 
which I was proud to author, was just one example of how we must 
continue to build on the historic work of past years in advancing equal 
rights and opportunities for American women.
  And earlier this week, the Senate yet again tried to move forward 
with legislation to address pay equality. Building on more than 50 
years of progress, starting with the Civil Rights Act, which barred 
employment discrimination based on race and gender, and on the heels of 
the 2009 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act would 
take a significant step toward ensuring a balanced and equal 
environment for women in the workplace. Unfortunately, for the fourth 
time, partisan objections have prevented the Senate from advancing this 
legislation to hold employers accountable and to protect employees from 
retaliation for discussing their salaries with colleagues. Vermont has 
adopted its own Equal Pay Act, making it illegal for employers to offer 
anything less than equal pay for equal work. Still, in Vermont, where 
22,000 households are headed by women, the yearly gender pay gap is 
nearly $6,000. More needs to be done, and we can do better.
  This year, Vermont will mark two important anniversaries. Thirty 
years ago, Vermont voters sent the first woman in our history to the 
State House to serve as Governor. Madeleine Kunin, a trailblazer in 
Vermont, served for 6 years as Governor, before becoming a Deputy 
Secretary of Education in the Clinton Administration. As a child, she 
fled the threat of the Holocaust, leaving Switzerland with her family 
for the hope and promise of America. She returned to the country that 
she had been forced to flee when President Clinton appointed her to 
serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland. She continues to lead and 
inspire as an author, educator, mentor to women in politics, and 
tireless advocate for women's rights.
  Later this year, the Vermont Women's Fund will celebrate 20 years of 
supporting women, both in the workplace and at home. The Fund helps 
women overcome economic hardships to live secure and successful lives. 
The Fund guides young women to opportunities in nontraditional career 
paths and propels future leaders to reach their goals. As we well know, 
when women are given an equal opportunity, their achievements are 
elevated. When women are given equal opportunities, they thrive and 
often rise to the top. When women are given a fair shot, their 
contributions at home, in the workplace and in our communities make us 
all better. The Vermont Women's Fund, with its diverse and 
representative council, works to establish and preserve that progress 
for Vermonters.
  In the nearly 95 years since the Nation came together to belatedly 
extend the right to vote to women, we have made considerable strides in 
advancing gender equality. More than two dozen women lead Fortune 500 
companies, an achievement once viewed as unattainable to young women 
entering the workforce. Women have risen to some of the highest ranks 
in our government. Women now comprise a majority of students enrolled 
in college. In Vermont, we are proud of our history in advancing 
women's rights. Leaders like Madeleine Kunin, and programs like the 
Vermont Women's Fund, are shining examples of why Vermont is a leader 
in this social progress for women and our entire society. And we are 
proud to be a national leader in the advancement of women. Congress, 
and the country, can learn and benefit from Vermont's trailblazing 
example.

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