WHEREAS, Women of every age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, economic status, occupation, and degree of ability or disability have made considerable contributions to the growth and development of our communities, states, country, and nations around the world; and
     WHEREAS, Women have played a critical role in the social, cultural, and spiritual development of communities around the globe; and
     WHEREAS, Women of all backgrounds have constituted significant portions of the labor force, whether working outside or inside the home, whether paid or as a volunteer, and have played a critical role in nurturing our children; and
     WHEREAS, Women have served as leaders of progressive social movements to secure individual rights and freedoms, and continue to lead efforts to eliminate discrimination and violence against all people and to promote equality, security, and peace; and
     WHEREAS, Women have been largely unrecognized and undervalued for their historical and contemporary scientific, governmental, athletic, literary, and artistic accomplishments; and
     WHEREAS, Women continue to experience discrimination and violence around the globe; and
     WHEREAS, Washington state has 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, and having since 1993 the highest proportion of women legislators of any state legislature in the history of the United States at 40.8% in 2000 and at 36.7% currently; and
     WHEREAS, For the first time in the state's history, two women, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, represent Washington state in the United States Senate; and
     WHEREAS, For the first time in the state's history, a majority of the sitting Justices of the Washington state Supreme Court are women; and
     WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States of America has long recognized the critical role of women in America by establishing in 1981 the week of March 8th as National Women's History Week, and in 1987, designating the month of March as National Women's History Month; and
     WHEREAS, Since 1975, the United Nations has proclaimed March 8th to be International Women's Day; and
     WHEREAS, In September 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, 147 heads of state and government called for empowering women and promoting gender equality, specifically setting targets to eliminate gender disparity at all levels of education by 2015, with additional indicators on women's employment, and the proportion of women in parliaments;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the 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.