[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8630 of February 28, 2011

Women's History Month, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
During Women's History Month, we reflect on the extraordinary
accomplishments of women and honor their role in shaping the course of
our Nation's history. Today, women have reached heights their mothers
and grandmothers might only have imagined. Women now comprise nearly
half of our workforce and the majority of students in our colleges and
universities. They scale the skies as astronauts, expand our economy as
entrepreneurs and business leaders, and serve our country at the highest
levels of government and our Armed Forces. In honor of the pioneering
women who came before us, and in recognition of those who will come
after us, this month, we recommit to erasing the remaining inequities
facing women in our day.
This year, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women's
Day, a global celebration of the economic, political, and social
achievements of women past, present, and future. International Women's
Day is a chance to pay tribute to ordinary women throughout the world
and is rooted in women's centuries-old struggle to participate in
society on an equal footing with men. This day reminds us that, while
enormous progress has been made, there is still work to be done before
women achieve true parity.
My Administration has elevated the rights of women and girls abroad as a
critical aspect of our foreign and national security policy. Empowering
women across the globe is not simply the right thing to do, it is also
smart foreign policy. This knowledge is reflected in the National
Security Strategy of the United States, which recognizes that countries
are more peaceful and prosperous when their female citizens enjoy equal
rights, equal voices, and equal opportunities. Today, we are integrating
a focus on women and girls in all our diplomatic efforts, and
incorporating gender considerations in every aspect of our development
assistance. We are working to build the participation of women into all
aspects of conflict prevention and resolution, and we are continuing to
lead in combating the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence, both
bilaterally and at the United Nations.
In America, we must lead by example in protecting women's rights and
supporting their empowerment. Despite our progress, too many women
continue to be paid less than male workers, and women are significantly
underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) fields. By tapping into the potential and talents of
all our citizens, we can utilize an enormous source of economic growth
and prosperity. The White House Council on Women and Girls has continued
to remove obstacles to achievement by addressing the rate of violence
against women, supporting female entrepreneurs, and prioritizing the
economic security of women. American families depend largely on the
financial stability of women, and my Administration continues to
prioritize policies that promote workplace flexibility, access to
affordable, quality health care and child care, support for family
caregivers, and the enforcement of equal pay laws. I have also called on
every agency in the Federal Government to be part of the so

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lution to ending violence against women, and they have responded with
unprecedented cooperation to protect victims of domestic and sexual
violence and enable survivors to break the cycle of abuse.
As we reflect on the triumphs of the past, we must also look to the
limitless potential that lies ahead. To win the future, we must equip
the young women of today with the knowledge, skills, and equal access to
reach for the promise of tomorrow. My Administration is making
unprecedented investments in education and is working to expand
opportunities for women and girls in the STEM fields critical for growth
in the 21st-century economy.
As we prepare to write the next chapter of women's history, let us
resolve to build on the progress won by the trailblazers of the past. We
must carry forward the work of the women who came before us and ensure
our daughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their
achievements, and no remaining ceilings to shatter.
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 2011 as Women's
History Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month and to
celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, 2011 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 twenty-eighth day
of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fifth.
BARACK OBAMA