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Gwen Moore Commemorates International Women’s Day

 

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) released this statement commemorating International Women’s Day.

 

 “Today, we come together to celebrate women and girls across the globe and their many contributions. As we reflect on International Women’s Day, we must recommit ourselves to women’s global struggle for equality and human rights. 

 

“Despite making up more than half the world’s population, women continue to get the shortest end of the stick. For example, women have played a large role in the Arab Spring.  However, even in these emerging democracies, women continue to face obstacles to getting a seat at the very tables they helped overturn.  From famine in the Horn of Africa, to widespread and deplorable levels of sexual violence committed against them in the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere where conflict abounds, we must work to ensure that women’s voices are heard on these critical issues.

 

“This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures.’ As a mother and grandmother of young women, I know the importance of providing girls with opportunities and positive role models. This is particularly important in these days and times as there are so many obstacles that face women and girls across the globe.  For too many young girls, lack of access to education and health care early in life will impede their development and chance for success later on in life. This is simply unacceptable.

 

“As a nation, we must continue to support women around the world who are struggling, often at great personal risk - as exemplified by the State Department’s Women of Courage awardees – to simply be able to have the very basic things in life that we in this nation take for granted, such as a decent education for themselves and their children and equal protection under the law from violence. 

 

“This year, I call upon both men and women to take an active role in the lives of our young girls so that they might grow to become productive citizens who are not afraid to let their voices be heard. We must work to bring bold new ideas to create healthy communities and provide greater opportunities for those who have been marginalized throughout the world.” 

 

 

International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8th. International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. This year’s theme is “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures.”

 

Rep. Gwen Moore is co-chair of the Caucus on Women’s Issues and is a powerful voice in Congress on behalf of women.

 

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