International Women's Day Statement

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY STATEMENT -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 09, 2007)

* Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, On March 8, men and women around the world celebrated International Women's Day. Women have certainly made enormous strides but as we celebrate the recent successes of women in leadership here in the United States and abroad, we must not forget the many women and girls who are struggling to assert their human rights.

* The reality is that women and girls continue to suffer from discrimination and violence and face enormous obstacles in their ability to succeed in any arena. The reality is that women are still not equal to men.

* Women work two-thirds of the world's working hours and produce half of the world's food, yet earn only 1 percent of the world's income, and own less than 1 percent of the world's property.

* Harmful traditional practices in many nations, such as dowry murder, honor killings and female genital mutilation continue without signs of abatement. An estimated five thousand women are murdered by family members each year and 2 million girls and women a year are at risk of female genital mutilation.

* Trafficking has become a worldwide crisis which involves between 1 and 2 million women and children each year.

* While many young women are taking advantage of increased opportunities and graduating from higher education in record numbers, there are many girls around the world whose choices are severely restricted because of their gender. Girls in various countries face severe violence, forced early marriage, and dangerous childbirth.

* Early marriage almost always ends formal educational opportunities for girls and it is estimated that in the next decade, 100 million girls will be married before the age of 18. In Africa, more than half of girls do not complete primary school education. Due to early childbirth and poor maternal healthcare, there are approximately 100,000 new cases of obstetric fistula among young women every year.

* Women around the world look to the United States for leadership and assistance in advancing women's rights in their communities. We should be doing more to help them. In recognition of this need, I plan to reintroduce the International Women's Freedom Act, which is modeled after the successful International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA). IRFA established the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which over the past 7 years, has drawn attention to the importance of protecting religious freedom around the world. The Commission's annual report and recommendations has had an impact on the protection of human rights around the world, with many of the Commission's recommendations being taken up by the President, the Congress, and the State Department.

* The International Women's Freedom Act will, like IRFA, establish an office in the State Department and a U.S. Commission, which will focus on International Women's Rights. The Commission will draft an annual report on violations of women's human rights abroad and the legislation will force the U.S. to consider these violations when determining foreign policy.

* There are many women who we salute on International Women's Day for breaking barriers. But let us also acknowledge the women who face hurdles which seem insurmountable. Those women who live in desperate poverty, who don't have basic health care, and who fear violence from their own family members are the women we need to think about today.

* As a superpower, as a country of compassionate concerned citizens, as human beings; let's commit ourselves to doing something about the state of the world's most vulnerable women as we celebrate International Women's Day.

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