[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 3085-3086]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor tonight in celebration 
of National Women's History Month, the month of March.
  I come here to salute the women in this country. This month is unique 
to me, particularly because Sonoma County, in my district, is the 
birthplace of the National Women's History Project, the nonprofit 
educational organization that is responsible for establishing Women's 
History Month.
  In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on 
the status of women, which I happened to be chair at that particular 
time, initiated a Women's History Week. Later in 1987, with the help of 
museums, libraries and educators across the country, the National 
Women's History Project petitioned Congress to expand the celebration 
to the entire month of March.
  Mr. Speaker, a resolution recognizing Women's History Month was 
quickly passed with strong bipartisan support in both the House and the 
Senate. Although the month of March gained this distinction about 20 
years ago, and a lot has happened since then, we still have a lot of 
work ahead of us.
  When we celebrate women and when we look at women and children and 
the challenges ahead, we must do more for women and we must do more for 
families.
  We must do more for our communities and for our Nation, and one place 
where we can start is by improving education.
  Females make up slightly more than 50 percent of this country's 
population. Yet, less than 30 percent of America's scientists are 
women. In addition, the National Science Foundation reports that the 
jobs facing today's workers will require higher skill levels in 
science, math and technology more than ever before.
  Quite clearly, there is no way that America can have a technically 
competent workforce if the majority of students, females, do not study 
science, math and technology. That is why I introduced a bill last 
Congress to help school districts encourage girls to pursue careers in 
science and math.
  Although my bill is formally titled Getting Our Girls Ready for the 
21st Century Act, it is really known as Go Girl.
  Go Girl is designed to create a bold new workforce of energized young 
women in science, math, technology and engineering.
  Last year, it was included as an amendment to two separate bills in 
the Committee on Science and the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce. This year I will be reintroducing Go Girl.
  Along with improving early education, we must also invest in job 
training programs and initiatives that give women the tools they need 
to become self-sufficient.
  Mr. Speaker, we all know that one of the best tools a woman can have 
is a quality education, since it is nearly impossible to get a good job 
without a strong educational background.
  That is why I am working on legislation to allow education to count 
as work when we reauthorize the welfare to work legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, this month, the month of March, encourages us to think 
about the progress women have made, and it reminds us to use every 
instrument in our power to continue to move forward. We must continue 
to dedicate ourselves to the jobs ahead. We must improve education for 
young girls and adolescents. We must invest in job training for women, 
ensure equal pay for equal work, and we must protect these rights, both 
in the United States and abroad.
  It is said that a woman's work is never done, hence we are here 
tonight working in the middle of the night. Our predecessors knew the 
same thing in 1848.
  Today, we know that with challenges ahead, we have our work cut out 
for us. We must continue so that we can get the job done.

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