[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 131, 115th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9631 of August 25, 2017

Women's Equality Day, 2017

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On August 26, 1920, America ratified the 19th Amendment, securing for
women a sacred right of citizenship: the right to vote. On the
anniversary of that historic day, we celebrate Women's Equality Day and
the innumerable contributions women have made to their families, their
communities, and in service to our country.
Women's suffrage in America has its roots in the meeting of a group of
trailblazers in 1848, in Seneca Falls, New York. While that meeting
sparked a movement, suffragists fought for 72 long years thereafter to
secure the vote for women nationwide. Women have always been in

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strumental to America's greatness, but with greater access to governing
institutions through national suffrage, generations of women have been
able to use the power of the ballot to shape their communities and help
keep America a beacon of freedom and opportunity for the world.
My Administration will continue to support the advancement of women, in
every corner of the Nation. One of my first actions as President was to
establish the United States-Canada Council for Advancement of Women
Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders. Recently, I pledged $50 million to
the new World Bank Group Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative. By
expanding access to capital and networks, this important initiative will
address many of the unique challenges women entrepreneurs in the
developing world face when financing and growing their businesses.
Through these efforts and others, we will support bold and innovative
women leaders and entrepreneurs domestically and abroad, recognizing
that their successes make our economy, and our Nation, stronger.
My Administration is committed to fostering an economy where all women
can succeed and thrive. We must prioritize the needs of working mothers
and families, including access to affordable childcare. Therefore, for
the first time in the history of this country, my budget proposes a
national paid family leave program. Our working families must be able to
provide and care for their children without fear of financial
insolvency, to strengthen our communities and drive a booming economy.
As President, I am also working to ensure that all women have access to
the training they need to succeed in our modern economy, especially in
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Women make up
only 12 percent of engineers, and the percentage of women in computer
and mathematical occupations has decreased over the past three decades.
To empower women to participate in all sectors of our economy, my
Administration is committed to workforce development, particularly
through the expansion of apprenticeships and vocational education. We
must break down the biases and barriers women in STEM face, and
encourage every American to pursue excellence in his or her chosen
field.
As we observe Women's Equality Day, commemorating the 19th Amendment, we
honor America's female pioneers. These resilient women have inspired
countless others to challenge the status quo in order to advance the
ultimate American value: that all men and women are created equal.
Together, we are creating a Nation where every daughter in America can
grow up believing in herself, her future, and following her heart toward
the American Dream.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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, 2017, as
Women's Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States to
celebrate the achievements of women and observe this day with
appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of
August, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and

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of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
forty-second.
DONALD J. TRUMP