HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2017-4623, by Representatives Doglio, McCabe, Slatter, Stambaugh, Senn, Van Werven, Kloba, Griffey, Macri, Kraft, Dolan, Rodne, Pellicciotti, Barkis, Frame, Wilcox, Lytton, Caldier, Orwall, Buys, Sullivan, Graves, Sells, Pike, Bergquist, Johnson, Clibborn, Dent, Peterson, Holy, Fey, McDonald, Pettigrew, Haler, Springer, Maycumber, Appleton, Dye, Ryu, Stokesbary, Farrell, Orcutt, Hansen, Shea, Riccelli, Kirby, Blake, Tarleton, Goodman, Wylie, Kilduff, Cody, Morris, Jinkins, Tharinger, McBride, Lovick, Reeves, Kagi, Pollet, Gregerson, Stonier, Chopp, Fitzgibbon, Hudgins, Stanford, Chapman, Robinson, Sawyer, Kristiansen, Santos, Ortiz-Self, and Ormsby

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.