Pelosi Celebrates International Women's Day

Pelosi Celebrates International Women's Day

Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in recognition of International Women's Day:

"On International Women's Day, we recognize that in order to fight hunger, to fight against poverty and to fight for peace, we need the leadership of women in our communities and in our statehouses, here and around the world.

"On a trip to Africa last month, I was fortunate to meet with Liberia's new president and Africa's first woman head of state, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. She is part of a new wave of women leaders from around the world: Michelle Bachelet in Chile, Angela Merkel in Germany, Tarja Halonen in Finland, Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia, and Helen Clark, the prime minister of New Zealand. I am proud that citizens of so many countries have cast their ballot for the leadership of women.

"But as we celebrate these women leaders, we also recognize that both in America and internationally, women are still severely underrepresented in the halls of power. The goal set at the 1995 Beijing World Conference of Women of women making up 30 percent of parliaments is not near to being met. Even here at home, only 15 percent of the members of Congress are women, half of the worldwide goal. Women cannot achieve gender equality unless we have equal representation as decision and policy makers.

"Around the world, women also face tremendous inequality in the struggle for basic rights and dignity. Women constitute the majority of the world's poor, face disparities in educational opportunity, suffer most from violence both in areas of conflict and in their own homes, and are most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and to death due to lack of reproductive health care.

"With a focus on women's health, especially in the areas of prevention and education, with improved economic security through support for microenterprise that allows women to lift themselves out of poverty and the creation of higher wage work, and by the elimination of all forms of violence against women, we can make strides for women everywhere.

"On International Women's Day, let us recommit to continuing the work of the women who came before us by building opportunities for the many generations of women yet to come, here and around the world."

http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=1449