WHEREAS, International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labor movements at the turn of the twentieth century and has both local and global dimensions; and

WHEREAS, Washington women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our state and nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways; and

WHEREAS, Washington women have played and continue to play a critical political, economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of life by constituting a significant portion of the labor force, and have made progress towards achieving gender equity since 1971; and

WHEREAS, The Washington State Women's Council and Washington Women United, 1971-1986, were established "To consider appropriate questions pertaining to the rights and needs of women in contemporary America and to make recommendations to the Legislature with respect to desirable changes in program and law"; and

WHEREAS, From the early 1970s until the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 and now today, women have made progress in achieving the full privileges and responsibilities of leadership in Washington state; and

WHEREAS, Senator Patty Murray, Secretary of State Kim Wyman, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers have provided outstanding leadership throughout our state, nation, and world, and represent outstanding role models for women and girls; and

WHEREAS, At the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the global call was to end all forms of violence against women and girls by highlighting violence against women as one of twelve critical areas of concern; and

WHEREAS, The growing international women's movement, which has been strengthened by the four global United Nations women's conferences, has helped make the 2015 commemoration of the Beijing Declaration and Platform a rallying point to build support for women's rights and participation in the political and economic arenas; and

WHEREAS, The Beijing+20 review session recommitted the international community to women's rights and empowerment as being at the heart of global sustainable development; and

WHEREAS, The 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals reassert the necessity of women's safety and health, women's inclusion in all realms of society, and acknowledgment of both women's professional and family-related contributions to the economy and community; and

WHEREAS, This is the time to uphold women's achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women's rights and gender equality to mobilize all people to do their part; and

WHEREAS, From the early 1970s to the international movement today, from the actions of our mothers and grandmothers to the goals of our daughters, women have made progress in achieving the full privileges and responsibilities of leadership in Washington state and the world;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate celebrate the achievements of women in history and commend Washington state women's participation in global action towards greater equality, justice, and fairness.