[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9153--AUG. 25, 2014

Proclamation 9153 of August 25, 2014

Women's Equality Day, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was certified, securing for women
the fundamental right to vote. The product of decades spent organizing,
protesting, and agitating, it was a turning point on the long march
toward equality for all, and it inspired generations of courageous women
who took up this unfinished struggle in their own time. On the
anniversary of this civil rights milestone, we honor the character and
perseverance of America's women and all those who work to make the same
rights and opportunities possible for our daughters and sons.
When women are given the opportunity to succeed, they do. Younger women
graduate college at higher rates than men and are more likely to hold a
graduate school degree. They are nearly half our workforce, and
increasingly they are the primary breadwinner for families. But too
often, the women and girls who lift up our Nation achieve extraordinary
success only after overcoming the legacy of unequal treatment.
My Administration is committed to tearing down the barriers--wherever
they exist--that deny women equal opportunity. We prohibited gender
discrimination in our health care system, made it easier for women to
challenge unfair pay, and invested in programs that help women enter
high-paying careers. We fought to improve student grants and loans to
ensure a college education is within the reach of every woman, and we
established the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual
Assault because no matter where women pursue a brighter future, they
have the right to do so without fear.
From classrooms to boardrooms, in cities and towns across America, and
in the ranks of our Armed Forces, women are succeeding like never
before. Their contributions are growing our economy and advancing our
Nation. But despite these gains, the dreams of too many mothers and
daughters continue to be deferred and denied. There is still more work
to do and more doors of opportunity to open. When women receive unequal
pay or are denied family leave and workplace flexibility, it makes life
harder for our mothers and daughters, and it hurts the loved ones they
support. These outdated policies and old ways of thinking deprive us of
our Nation's full talents and potential. That is why this June we held
the first-ever White House Summit on Working Families to develop a
comprehensive agenda that ensures

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hard working Americans do not have to choose between being productive
employees and responsible family members. We know that when women and
girls are free to pursue their own measure of happiness in all aspects
of their lives, they strengthen our families, enrich our communities,
and better our country. We know that when women succeed, America
succeeds.
In the 21st century, a mother should be able to raise her daughter and
be her role model--showing her that with hard work, there are no limits
to what she can accomplish. On Women's Equality Day, we continue the
righteous work of building a society where women thrive, where every
door is open to them, and their every dream can be realized.
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 August 26, 2014, as
Women's Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States to
celebrate the achievements of women and promote gender equality in our
country.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of
August, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA