HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2002-4730, by Representatives Chase, Skinner, Kenney, Woods, Darneille, Hankins, Edwards, Ballasiotes, Grant, Mitchell, Veloria, Talcott, Santos, Cody, Conway, McIntire, Hatfield, Wood, Linville, Romero, Fromhold, Berkey, Ruderman, Ogden, Hunt, Kagi, Sullivan, Dunshee, Kirby, Cooper, Fisher, Murray, Lovick, Upthegrove, Lantz, Miloscia, O'Brien, Morris, Rockefeller, Jackley, Reardon, Simpson, Kessler, Lysen, Hurst, Quall, Schual‑Berke, Gombosky, Dickerson, Sommers, Doumit, Eickmeyer and Tokuda

       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 volunteers, and have played a critical role in the nurturing of 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 day-to-day discrimination and continue to be victims of 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 the highest proportion of women legislators of any state legislature in the history of the United States; and

       WHEREAS, 2002 is the ninety-second anniversary of women's suffrage in Washington State and the eighty-second anniversary of women's suffrage in the United States; and

       WHEREAS, The United States of America, as a world leader, recognized the critical role of women in America by establishing March as National Women's History Month; and

       WHEREAS, The United Nations has proclaimed March 8th to be International Women's Day since 1975; and

       WHEREAS, The United Nations has established the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1979 to affirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, and in the equal rights of men and women; and

       WHEREAS, 2002 is the seventh anniversary of the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing, which brought together more than forty-seven thousand women and men from one hundred eighty-nine countries who unanimously agreed that inequalities between women and men create serious consequences for all people;

       NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives 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 hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of

              4730 Resolution adopted by the House of Representatives

                                  March 8, 2002.

                           _____________________________

                           Cynthia Zehnder, Chief Clerk