Senate Supports International Women’s Day

On March 9, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 315) designating March 8, 2004, as “International Women’s Day.” Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) sponsored the resolution.

The resolution contains a number of findings on the status of women in the United States and abroad, including:

• Discrimination continues to deny women full political and economic equality and is often the basis for violations of women’s basic human rights;
• The World Health Organization asserts that domestic violence causes more deaths and disability than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war among women between the ages of 15 and 44;
• Women account for half of all cases of HIV/AIDS worldwide, approximately 42 million; and in countries with the highest rates, young women are at a higher risk than young men of contracting HIV/AIDS;
• Women comprise almost 15 percent of the active duty, reserve, and guard units of the United States Armed Forces;
• Women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, and produce half of the world’s food supply, yet earn only one percent of the world’s income, and own less than one percent of the world’s property; and
• Illegal trafficking worldwide for forced labor, domestic servitude, or sexual exploitation involves approximately two million women and children each year, of whom 50,000 are transported to the United States.

By approving the resolution, the Senate “reaffirms its commitment to ending discrimination and violence against women; ensuring the safety and welfare of women; and pursuing policies that guarantee the basic rights of women both in the United States and in the world.”

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) pointed out that that this year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Women and HIV/AIDS.” She stated, “The disease is having an increasingly devastating impact on females. Throughout the world, girls and young women now make up nearly two-thirds of those below the age of 24 living with HIV, and new infections are rising fastest among married women infected by their husbands. In order to stem this trend, women must be involved in the solution. This will involve providing women with better education and better healthcare. The U.N. properly recognizes that no enduring solution to any of society’s social, economic and political ills can be found without the full participation and empowerment of women.”