Senate Floor: SENATE RESOLUTION 393--DESIGNATING MARCH 8, 2006, AS ``INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY''

Mr. President, today I am submitting a resolution honoring 10 extraordinary women in celebration of International Women's Day.

There is no doubt that women have made tremendous strides towards equality and justice in the last century. International Women's Day provides an important moment to acknowledge the role that women have played in pioneering change and paving the way for millions of women and girls to access equal education, employment and opportunity.

The resolution I submit highlights the achievements of women from all over the world who have made strides as stateswomen, activists and advocates.

They are women who have overcome discrimination, abuse and political oppression to make a difference in the communities in which they live. Women like Kavita Ramdas, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Women's Fund, the largest foundation in the world that exclusively centers on advocating women's rights. Her work has helped to improve women's economic independence and increased girls' access to education.

Salma Hayek plays a leading role in helping battered women in the United States and her native country, Mexico. Serving as chief spokeswoman for the Avon Foundations "Speak Out Against Domestic Violence" campaign, she continues to stay committed to helping educate and empower women to bring an end to this type of violence. She has donated her time and money to overcoming the horrifying statistic that one in three women worldwide has been raped, sexually abused or beaten in their lifetime, inspiring others to help spread awareness concerning domestic violence.

As Executive Director of the Texas Council on Family Violence and National Domestic Violence Hotline, Sheryl Cates is leading our country in empowering women by offering information and referrals to victims of domestic violence. Since the Hotline started 10 years ago, it has taken over 1.6 million calls in 140 languages and provide support for women across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Domestic violence is often unseen and unreported because the victims are often too scared to seek help. The Hotline provides a place for victims to turn for assistance, providing individualized support to ensure these women that they are not alone.

At age 11, Lora Jo Foo was a garment worker in San Francisco, California. She is now an accomplished civil rights and labor activist. Having dedicated her life to improving sweatshop conditions, she represents and advocates for low wage industry workers throughout the world. Many garment industry workers are denied public benefits because they do not speak English and government agencies fail to provide them with interpreters or translated documents. A large number of Asian women are pushed into dead-end workfare jobs where they learn no skills and are denied the option of English-language training. The result has been an increase in hunger and illness among Asian immigrant women and their families. Lora Jo Foo represents those women, giving them a voice to advocate for change.

Women like these are why we celebrate International Women's Day, commemorating their selfless achievements in advocating for equal rights and educating others. This past year, the global community has taken significant strides forward towards gender equality and the pursuit of human rights. On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected as Prime Minister of Liberia, becoming the first elected female head of state in Africa. Germany elected its first female Chancellor, Angela Merkel. Chancellor Merkel overcame her childhood in North Berlin under communism and triumphed in her role as a leader. This past spring, Kuwait transformed the very structure of their country by amending their electoral laws and allowing women both to vote and to run in parliamentary elections. In Afghanistan, women are gaining equality in representation, overcoming years of severe gender discrimination and gender-based violence. There are now 68 female parliamentarians in the lower house of parliament, making up 27 percent of the representatives; women make up 15 percent of the representatives in the upper house.

Despite the achievements in women's rights during the past year, there is still more to be done, both domestically and internationally. In our own country, the wage gap between genders still exists. Although it has slightly decreased, women make an average of 76.5 percent as much as men do for identical jobs. Internationally, young women are three times more likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS than men because they know less about how to prevent infection and how to protect themselves from violence and discrimination. And while the laws of some countries in the Middle East have been changed to allow women the right to vote and hold office, much remains to be done to ensure they have equal access and opportunity to freely express their political will.

We value the progress that has been made in ending discrimination and advocating gender equality. On International Women's Day, we thank all those who have contributed to our successes. I urge my colleagues to support the immediate passage of the resolution.