Congress Passes Resolution in Support of International Women's Day

CONGRESS PASSES RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

WASHINGTON, DC--The U.S. House of Representatives today passed Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's (D-IL) resolution (H. Res. 149) to celebrate and commemorate International Women's Day on March 8, 2007. The bipartisan resolution, introduced by Representatives Schakowsky and Judy Biggert (R-IL), had 102 cosponsors.

"As Vice Chair of the Women's Caucus, I am proud to announce the passage of this resolution to honor the contributions women have made in the struggle for gender equality in the U.S. and across the world,... said U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky. "Today, we are honoring those trailblazers who have helped shatter the glass ceiling by expanding the political, economic and social rights of women....

"Even as we celebrate today, we must remember that there is still plenty of work to do to achieve true equality in the U.S and other parts of the world,... said Rep. Schakowsky. "Women still earn less, own less and have less access to education and employment than men. There are also millions of women who are trafficked, physically abused, and sexually assaulted every day....

The International Women's Day Resolution calls on Congress to:

• Honor women who have fought and continue to struggle for equality;
• Reaffirm its commitment to ending discrimination and violence against women; and
• Pursue policies that guarantee the basic human rights of women.

The International Women's Day Resolution calls on the President to:

• Reaffirm his commitment to pursue policies to protect the health and human rights of women; and
• Issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the U.S. to observe International Women's Day with appropriate programs and activities.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus. Throughout her career, Schakowsky has been a leading advocate for women's rights and equality. Following the 2006 election, Congresswoman Schakowsky had the historic honor of seconding the nomination of Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to become the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.