[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9238 of February 27, 2015

Women's History Month, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Throughout history, extraordinary women have fought tirelessly to
broaden our democracy's reach and help perfect our Union. Through
protest and activism, generations of women have appealed to the values
at the heart of our Nation and fought to give meaning to the idea that
we are all created equal. As today's women and girls reach for new
heights, they stand on the shoulders of all those who have come before
and carry forward their legacy of proud achievement. This month, we
celebrate countless pioneering women and the victories they won, and we
continue our work to build a society where our daughters have the same
possibilities as our sons.
Courageous women have called not only for the absence of oppression, but
for the presence of opportunity. They have demonstrated for justice, but
also for jobs--ones that promise equal pay for equal work. And they have
marched for the right to vote not just so their voices would be heard,
but so they could have a seat at the head of the table. With grit and
resolve, they have fought to overcome discrimination and shatter glass
ceilings, and after decades of slow, steady, and determined progress,
they have widened the circle of opportunity for women and girls across
our country.
Today, more women are their family's main breadwinner than ever before.
Women are nearly half of our Nation's workers, and they are increasingly
among the most skilled. At the same time, more than 60 percent of women
with children under the age of 5 participate in the labor force. This
increasing participation of women in our workforce has bolstered our
economy and strengthened our families, and it has demonstrated that the
policies that benefit women and working families benefit all of us.
But not all of the rules that govern our workplaces have caught up with
this reality, and today, too many of the opportunities that our mothers
and grandmothers fought for are going unrealized. That is why I am
committed to tearing down the barriers to full and equal participation
in our economy and society that still exist for too many women. All
women deserve equal pay for equal work and a living wage; the Congress
needs to raise the minimum wage and pass a law that ensures a woman is
paid the same as a man for doing the same work. I continue to call for
increased workplace flexibility and access to paid leave--including paid
sick leave--so that hardworking Americans do not have to choose between
being productive employees and responsible family members. And I have
proposed a plan that would make quality child care available to every
middle-class and low-income family in America with young children. These
are not only women's issues--they are family issues and national
economic priorities.
We know that when women succeed, America succeeds. The strength of our
economy rests on whether we make it possible for every citizen to
contribute to our growth and prosperity. As we honor the many patriots
who have shaped not only the destinies of other women, but also the
direction of our history, let us resolve to build on their efforts in

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our own time. As a Nation, we must join our voices with the chorus of
history and push forward with unyielding faith to forge a more equal
society for all our daughters and granddaughters--one where a woman's
potential is limited only by the size of her dreams and the power of her
imagination.
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 2015 as Women's
History Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month and to
celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, 2015, with appropriate
programs, ceremonies, and activities. I also invite all Americans to
visit www.WomensHistoryMonth.gov to learn more about the generations of
women who have left enduring imprints on our history.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day
of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA