[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 6, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 13185-13186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5566]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 6, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 13185]]


                Proclamation 8780 of March 1, 2012

                
Women's History Month, 2012

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As Americans, ours is a legacy of bold independence and 
                passionate belief in fairness and justice for all. For 
                generations, this intrepid spirit has driven women 
                pioneers to challenge injustices and shatter ceilings 
                in pursuit of full and enduring equality. During 
                Women's History Month, we commemorate their struggles, 
                celebrate centuries of progress, and reaffirm our 
                steadfast commitment to the rights, security, and 
                dignity of women in America and around the world.

                We see the arc of the American story in the dynamic 
                women who shaped our present and the groundbreaking 
                girls who will steer our future. Forty-one years ago, 
                when former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt confronted 
                President John F. Kennedy about the lack of women in 
                government, he appointed her the head of a commission 
                to address the status of women in America and the 
                discrimination they routinely faced. Though the former 
                First Lady passed away before the commission finished 
                its work, its report would spur action across our 
                country and galvanize a movement toward true gender 
                parity. Our Nation stands stronger for that righteous 
                struggle, and last March my Administration was proud to 
                release the first comprehensive Federal report on the 
                status of American women since President Kennedy's 
                commission in 1963. Today, women serve as leaders 
                throughout industry, civil society, and government, and 
                their outstanding achievements affirm to our daughters 
                and sons that no dream is beyond their reach.

                While we have made great strides toward equality, we 
                cannot rest until our mothers, sisters, and daughters 
                assume their rightful place as full participants in a 
                secure, prosperous, and just society. With the 
                leadership of the White House Council on Women and 
                Girls, my Administration is advancing gender equality 
                by promoting workplace flexibility, striving to bring 
                more women into math and science professions, and 
                fighting for equal pay for equal work. We are combating 
                violence against women by revising an antiquated 
                definition of rape and harnessing the latest technology 
                to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, and 
                sexual assault. From securing women's health and safety 
                to leveling the playing field and ensuring women have 
                full and fair access to opportunity in the 21st 
                century, we are making deep and lasting investments in 
                the future of all Americans.

                Because the peace and security of nations around the 
                globe depend upon the education and advancement of 
                women and girls, my Administration has placed their 
                perspectives and needs at the heart of our foreign 
                policy. Last December, I released the first United 
                States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and 
                Security to help ensure women play an equal role in 
                peace-building worldwide. By fully integrating women's 
                voices into peace processes and our work to prevent 
                conflict, protect civilians, and deliver humanitarian 
                assistance, the United States is bringing effective 
                support to women in areas of conflict and improving the 
                chances for lasting peace. In the months ahead, my 
                Administration will continue to collaborate with 
                domestic and international partners on new initiatives 
                to bring economic and political opportunity to women at 
                home and abroad.

[[Page 13186]]

                During Women's History Month, we recall that the 
                pioneering legacy of our grandmothers and great-
                grandmothers is revealed not only in our museums and 
                history books, but also in the fierce determination and 
                limitless potential of our daughters and 
                granddaughters. As we make headway on the crucial 
                issues of our time, let the courageous vision 
                championed by women of past generations inspire us to 
                defend the dreams and opportunities of those to come.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim March 2012 as Women's 
                History Month. I call upon all Americans to observe 
                this month and to celebrate International Women's Day 
                on March 8, 2012, with appropriate programs, 
                ceremonies, and activities that honor the history, 
                accomplishments, and contributions of American women. I 
                also invite all Americans to visit 
                www.WomensHistoryMonth.gov to learn more about the 
                generations of women who have shaped our history.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                first day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth. 
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2012-5566
Filed 3-5-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P