[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 42 (Thursday, March 2, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 11199-11200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5208]


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[[Page 11199]]


                Proclamation 7277 of February 29, 2000

                
Women's History Month, 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Last spring, three women astronauts paused during a 
                shuttle mission to pay homage to the past. Thousands of 
                miles into space, floating above the floor of the 
                shuttle, they raised a women's suffrage banner and 
                posed for a picture. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, a 
                participant in this special tribute and a member of the 
                President's Commission on the Celebration of Women in 
                American History, said, ``We wanted to show how far 
                women have come in this century and to honor the people 
                who fought for our rights.'' Each year during the month 
                of March, citizens across our country pause to honor 
                the many heroes whose diligence and determination have 
                helped to forge our Nation and enable people like Ellen 
                Ochoa and her colleagues to soar so high.

                Women's History Month is about highlighting the 
                extraordinary achievements of women throughout our 
                history, while recognizing the equally significant 
                obstacles they had to overcome along the road to 
                success. It is about the women who bravely donned 
                uniforms and fought for our country. It is about the 
                passion and vision of women educators like Mary McLeod 
                Bethune, who, with only $1.50 in her pocket, founded a 
                school for young black women. It is about the 
                perseverance and pioneering spirit of women like 
                Margaret Chung, the first Chinese American woman 
                physician, who supported herself through medical school 
                by washing dishes and lecturing on China. It is about 
                Alice Paul's fight for the vote and Elizabeth Wanamaker 
                Peratrovich's campaign to end discrimination against 
                Alaska Natives. It is about the writings of Zora Neale 
                Hurston, the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, the 
                leadership of labor organizer Dolores Huerta, and the 
                trailblazing artistry of photographer Margaret Bourke-
                White. It is also about the millions of unsung women 
                whose contributions have made life better for their 
                families and their communities.

                Inspired by the courageous pioneers who came before 
                them, women today continue to shape our Nation's 
                destiny. Last year, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Eileen 
                Collins became the first woman commander of a space 
                shuttle mission. American violinists Sarah Chang, 
                Pamela Frank, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg were the 
                first women to take home the prestigious Avery Fisher 
                Prize in its 25-year history. And, in a game attended 
                by the largest crowd of all time for a women's sporting 
                event, the U.S. women's soccer team captured the World 
                Cup. Today, 58 women hold seats in the U.S. House of 
                Representatives, and 9 women are United States 
                Senators. More women hold high-level positions in my 
                Administration than in any other in history. And in the 
                private sector, women own nearly 9 million small 
                businesses, employing millions of Americans and 
                contributing significantly to the strength of our 
                economy.

                As we honor the past and celebrate the present, we must 
                also focus on the future. Our choices today will have 
                an enormous impact on the destiny of our daughters and 
                granddaughters, our sons and grandsons. We must 
                rededicate ourselves to forging a society in which 
                gender no longer predetermines a person's opportunities 
                or station in life. We must shatter the glass ceiling; 
                eradicate wage discrimination; and ensure that every 
                American has

[[Page 11200]]

                the tools to meet both family and work responsibilities 
                and to retire in security. By breaking down the 
                remaining barriers and opening wide the doors of 
                opportunity, we can make the future brighter for women 
                and for all Americans.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do herebyproclaim March 2000 as Women's History 
                Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month 
                with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities, 
                and to remember throughout the year the many 
                contributions of courageous women who have made our 
                Nation strong.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-5208
Filed 3-1-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P