WHEREAS, International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity; and

WHEREAS, There are numerous examples of women who have been Bold for Change, and, in doing so, made their marks on history and changed the world; and

WHEREAS, Harriet Tubman, the famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, led hundreds of slaves to freedom. She never lost a fugitive or allowed one to turn back; and

WHEREAS, Anne Frank, who perished in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, left behind a diary which served as a unique eyewitness account of life during the Holocaust; and

WHEREAS, Former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was the first black woman elected to the Texas State Senate and the first African-American Texan in Congress, man or woman. She was a staunch defender of the U.S. Constitution, which, she sometimes noted, had not initially included African-Americans in its "We, the people"; and

WHEREAS, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was a leader involved in numerous humanitarian causes, who rejected the "social hostess" role of first lady and turned into a more visible, active participant in the White House administration. She was an early champion for civil rights for African-Americans, and advocated for women, American workers, refugees, and the poor; and

WHEREAS, United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was a Presidential Medal of Freedom award recipient and the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court; and

WHEREAS, Condoleeza Rice was the first African-American woman and second woman ever to serve as the United States' National Security Adviser and Secretary of State. She was also the first woman and first African-American to serve as Provost of Stanford University; and

WHEREAS, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was the first Cuban-American and the first Latina elected to Congress. She's been a strong advocate of programs that address domestic violence against women and was the lead sponsor of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act; and

WHEREAS, Cathy McMorris Rodgers was the first woman to lead the Washington State House Republican Caucus during her service as a state representative. As a Congresswoman, she is the longest-serving woman in Republican leadership, and, as chair of the House Republican Conference, she is the highest-ranking woman in Congress; and

WHEREAS, Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu is a decorated lawyer with a strong record of service both on and off the bench, and our state's first openly lesbian person and first woman of color to serve on the Washington Supreme Court; and

WHEREAS, According to the World Economic Forum, there is a clear values-based case for promoting gender parity: Women are one-half of the world's population and deserve equal access to health, education, economic participation and earning potential, and political decision-making power;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives recognize the contributions of women to our society, economy, and community; and honor all women throughout our state, nation, and world during the celebration of International Women's Day.