[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 48 (Thursday, March 12, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN RECOGNITION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 12, 2020

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support to 
commemorate the 43rd anniversary of International Women's Day.
  On March 8, International Women's Day, we take the time to 
commemorate the incomparable contributions that women and girls all 
around the world have created in order to better our communities.
  I am honored to be able to commemorate this momentous day with so 
many other women that have devoted their lives to making a change in 
our society.
  We commemorate women's enduring achievements for our world and 
rededicate ourselves to delivering education and opportunity to girls 
in every country.
  Our lives have changed because of influential figures from Arabella 
Mansfield, America's first female lawyer and philanthropist, Katherine 
Johnson, mathematician, critical NASA employee and revolutionary force 
of her time, Oprah Winfrey, first black multi-billionaire, American 
media executive and social influencer, and our very own mothers who 
have raised and supported us.
  Women are beginning to leave their mark in every industry from 
corporations, to music, to sports, to education, to finances, to 
entertainers, to the Armed Forces, and to politics.
  The fight of women has always been fueled and grounded in the belief 
in what is possible, we have always built a future that we could see 
and believe in and fight for.
  That is why the United States currently has the most diverse Congress 
in history, with over one hundred female members whose visions and 
values continue the legacy of the women that came before and paved the 
way for those who follow.
  That is why a young woman who saw an existential crisis spoke up and 
sparked a revolution to combat climate change on a global scale.
  That is why we will never stop advocating for the Equal Rights 
Amendment and Equal Pay.
  That is why a woman was selected as the Democratic party's nominee 
for President of the United States; she served as the Nation's first 
lady, senator from New York, and proudly served as Secretary of State.
  That is why we continue to reshape and rethink the role of women in 
society.
  It has been a momentous year for women as we thrive in the 21st 
century.
  We are no longer hidden figures behind a man, held back by ambition, 
or forced to take on stereotypic roles of women.
  However, we are still far from reaching the equality envisioned in 
our Constitution.
  The scales of justice held by Lady Liberty are not yet balanced, and 
it is incumbent upon all women to continue our fight for equal rights 
under law and in the eyes of society.
  One in 3 women worldwide are victims of physical or sexual violence.
  More than 200 million women and girls alive today have experienced 
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
  Complications from pregnancy and childbirth is the number one killer 
among girls ages 15 to 19 in the developing world.
  Despite women working longer hours than men when both paid and unpaid 
work is taken into consideration, women still earn an average of 24 
percent less than men do worldwide.
  Women spend one to three hours more on housework than men, two to ten 
times the amount of time caring for children and the elderly, and one 
to four hours less per day on economic market activities.
  An estimated 63 million young girls worldwide are out of school.
  Millions of women are still denied fundamental rights, but we look to 
the promise of our past and know that our future is bright.
  We will usher in a new era of growth for our economies, security for 
our families, and strength for our countries.
  Let us build on the successes of our history, protect the rights we 
have won, and continue to march towards a new dawn for women and girls 
around the world.
  Our commitment to the empowerment of women and girls also calls us to 
rededicate ourselves to fighting violence against women and girls in 
all spheres of life, from the classroom to the courtroom to the bedroom 
and everywhere in between.
  This year, as we prepare to commemorate the centennial of the 19th 
Amendment, we take acknowledgement of this momentous achievement that 
unleashed the power of women to have a voice in our democracy, and in 
the process helped deliver transformative progress toward a more 
perfect union for all Americans.
  In recognition of the innumerable contributions and continued 
leadership of America's women, we will never stop fighting to advance 
the cause of freedom, equality and justice for all.
  Today, and always, we reaffirm a vital truth that when women succeed, 
America succeeds.

                          ____________________