[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1308-S1309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 97--SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Kirk, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. 
Boxer, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mr. 
Whitehouse) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                               S. Res. 97

       Whereas there are more than 3,500,000,000 women in the 
     world today;
       Whereas women around the world have fundamental human 
     rights, participate in the political, social, and economic 
     life of their communities, play a critical role in providing 
     and caring for their families, contribute substantially to 
     the growth of economies and the prevention of conflict, and, 
     as farmers and caregivers, play an important role in 
     advancing food security for their communities;
       Whereas the advancement of women around the world is a 
     foreign policy priority for the United States;
       Whereas on September 24, 2014, President Barack Obama 
     highlighted the United States support for the advancement of 
     women, noting: ``Where women are full participants in a 
     country's politics or economy, societies are more likely to 
     succeed. And that's why we support the participation of women 
     in parliaments and peace processes, schools, and the 
     economy.'';
       Whereas women remain underrepresented in conflict 
     prevention and conflict resolution efforts, despite proven 
     success by women in conflict-affected regions in moderating 
     violent extremism, countering terrorism, resolving disputes 
     through nonviolent mediation and negotiation, and stabilizing 
     societies by improving access to peace and security services, 
     institutions, and decisionmaking venues;
       Whereas on December 19, 2011, the Obama Administration 
     launched the first United States National Action Plan on 
     Women, Peace, and Security (referred to in this preamble as 
     the ``National Action Plan'') that includes a comprehensive 
     set of national commitments to advance the active 
     participation of women in decisionmaking relating to matters 
     of war and peace;
       Whereas the National Action Plan states the following: 
     ``Deadly conflicts can be more effectively avoided, and peace 
     can be best forged and sustained, when women become equal 
     partners in all aspects of peace-building and conflict 
     prevention, when their lives are protected, their experiences 
     considered, and their voices heard.'';
       Whereas the National Action Plan requires the National 
     Security Council staff to coordinate a comprehensive review 
     of, and update to, the National Action Plan in 2015 with 
     consultation from international partners and civil society 
     organizations;
       Whereas according to the Bureau of International Narcotics 
     and Law Enforcement Affairs of the Department of State, 
     women's full and meaningful participation in security forces 
     vastly enhances their effectiveness;
       Whereas the ability of women and girls to realize their 
     full potential is critical to the ability of a country to 
     achieve strong and lasting economic growth and political and 
     social stability;
       Whereas according to the International Monetary Fund, 
     ``focusing on the needs and empowerment of women is one of 
     the keys to human development'';
       Whereas according to the United Nations Educational, 
     Scientific and Cultural Organization, two-thirds of the 
     781,000,000 illiterate people in the world are female;
       Whereas according to the United States Agency for 
     International Development, compared to uneducated women, 
     ``educated women are less likely to marry early and more 
     likely to have smaller and healthier families. They are also 
     more likely to get a job and earn a higher wage.'';
       Whereas according to the Food and Agriculture Organization 
     of the United Nations, the majority of women living in rural 
     areas of the developing world are heavily engaged in 
     agricultural labor, yet they receive less credit, land, 
     agricultural inputs, and training than their male 
     counterparts;
       Whereas according to the United Nations Population Fund, 
     women have access to fewer income-earning opportunities and 
     are more likely to manage the household and engage in 
     agricultural work, making women more vulnerable to economic 
     insecurity caused by natural disasters and long-term changes 
     in weather patterns;
       Whereas according to the World Bank, women own or partly 
     own more than one-third of small and medium-sized enterprises 
     in developing countries, and 40 percent of the global 
     workforce is female, yet, women entrepreneurs and employers 
     have disproportionately less access to capital and other 
     financial services compared to men;
       Whereas despite strides in recent decades, women around the 
     world continue to face significant obstacles in all aspects 
     of their lives, including underrepresentation in all aspects 
     of public life, denial of basic human rights, and 
     discrimination;

[[Page S1309]]

       Whereas despite achievements by individual female leaders, 
     women around the world are still vastly underrepresented in 
     high-level positions and in national and local legislatures 
     and governments and, according to the Inter-Parliamentary 
     Union, women account for only 21.9 percent of national 
     parliamentarians;
       Whereas 1 in 3 women around the world has experienced some 
     form of gender-based violence, and 1 in 4 women has suffered 
     abuse during pregnancy;
       Whereas according to the World Health Organization, 
     approximately 800 women die from preventable causes related 
     to pregnancy and childbirth every day, with 99 percent of all 
     maternal deaths occurring in developing countries;
       Whereas according to the United Nations Population Fund, 
     more than 200,000,000 women and girls around the world would 
     like to access family planning services but are unable to do 
     so;
       Whereas according to data from the World Bank, women 
     between the ages of 15 and 44 are at a greater risk of rape 
     and domestic violence than cancer, war, traffic accidents, 
     and malaria combined;
       Whereas on August 10, 2012, President Barack Obama 
     announced the United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond 
     to Gender-Based Violence Globally, the first interagency 
     strategy to address gender-based violence around the world;
       Whereas violence against women and girls impedes progress 
     in meeting many international global development goals, 
     including efforts to stem maternal mortality and the spread 
     of HIV/AIDS;
       Whereas on October 11, 2013, President Barack Obama stated 
     that the practice of child marriage was a ``threat to 
     fundamental human rights'';
       Whereas according to the International Center for Research 
     on Women, one-third of girls worldwide are married before the 
     age of 18 and 1 in 9 girls are married before the age of 15;
       Whereas according to the World Health Organization, suicide 
     is the leading cause of death for girls ages 15 to 19, 
     followed by complications from pregnancy and childbirth;
       Whereas it is imperative to alleviate violence and 
     discrimination against women and afford women every 
     opportunity to be full and productive members of their 
     communities;
       Whereas 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World 
     Conference on Women, where 189 countries committed to the 
     Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to integrate 
     gender equality into all dimensions of society;
       Whereas 2015 marks the deadline for meeting the United 
     Nations Millennium Development Goals, and progress towards 
     meeting the targets for gender equality and women's 
     empowerment remains uneven; and
       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 to recognize the obstacles that women still 
     face in the struggle for equal rights and opportunities: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals of International Women's Day;
       (2) recognizes that the empowerment of women is 
     inextricably linked to the potential of countries to generate 
     economic growth, sustainable democracy, and inclusive 
     security;
       (3) recognizes and honors individuals in the United States 
     and around the world, including women who are human rights 
     defenders, who have worked throughout history to ensure that 
     women are guaranteed equality and basic human rights;
       (4) reaffirms the commitment to ending discrimination and 
     violence against women and girls, to ensuring the safety and 
     welfare of women and girls, to pursuing policies that 
     guarantee the basic human rights of women and girls 
     worldwide, and to promoting meaningful and significant 
     participation of women in all aspects of their societies and 
     communities;
       (5) supports international calls for a ``Post-2015 
     Development Agenda'' to include a stand-alone goal to achieve 
     gender equality and women's empowerment; and
       (6) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     International Women's Day with appropriate programs and 
     activities.

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