SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1996-8714

By Senators Kohl, Goings, Sutherland, Smith, Loveland, Winsley, Sheldon, Long, Haugen, Prentice, Rasmussen, Roach, Wojahn, Drew, Rinehart, Fairley, Wood, Hale, Bauer, Thibaudeau, Franklin, McAuliffe, Spanel, Quigley, Owen, Hargrove, Pelz and Anderson

     WHEREAS, Women of every age, race, religion, creed, ethnicity, economic status, and degree of ability and disability have immeasurably enriched and continue to enrich our homes, our schools, our workplaces, our communities, our state, our country, and every nation on Earth; and

     WHEREAS, Women have played a critical economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of life by constituting a significant portion of the labor force whether working inside or outside of the home, whether paid or as a volunteer; and

     WHEREAS,  Women of every age, race, religion, creed, ethnicity, economic status, and degree of ability and disability have served as leaders of every major progressive movement of social change; and

     WHEREAS,  Day-to-day discrimination against women remains a fact of life around the globe, and women continue to be largely unrecognized and undervalued for their historical and contemporary accomplishments; and

     WHEREAS, Women continue to lead efforts in eliminating discrimination and violence committed against women, men, and children, and in promoting equality, equity, and peace; and

     WHEREAS, Washington State has always been a champion of women's rights and a national leader in promoting progress for women, having been one of the first states to grant suffrage to women, having the highest proportion of women legislators of any state legislature currently and in the history of the United States, and having a majority of women in the Senate majority caucus, which is a first in the United States; and 

     WHEREAS, The United States of America remains a world leader and must continue to set the standards for women's rights and equality; and

     WHEREAS, 1996 is the 86th anniversary of women's suffrage in Washington State and the 76th anniversary of women's suffrage in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, March is National Women's History Month as proclaimed by Congress, and March 8th is International Women's Day as proclaimed by the United Nations;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor and celebrate the women of our state, country, and the world, and recognize March 8th as International Women's Day and March as National Women's History Month.

I, Marty Brown, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 1996-8714,

adopted by the Senate March 7, 1996.

MARTY BROWN

Secretary of the Senate