Shaheen, Collins Spearhead Bipartisan Introduction of Resolution Recognizing International Women’s Day 2021
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) led a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce a resolution to recognize March 8, 2021 as International Women’s Day. The resolution celebrates the achievements of women and girls around the globe, and underscores the significant barriers that still stand in the way of women’s full equality and empowerment. Joining Shaheen and Collins are Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Merkley (D-OR) and Murphy (D-CT).
“Recognizing International Women’s Day is so much more than a day on the calendar – it is a reminder that fifty percent of our global population has made immense contributions to our societies despite the gender barriers that seek to hold them back. Today we recommit to making every day International Women’s Day so we can collectively work to promote policies that support women and girls around the world,” said Senator Shaheen. “Tearing down the obstacles that try to prevent women and girls from full participation in the political, social and economic sectors of their communities must be a U.S. policy priority at home and abroad. Investing in their health, education and empowerment strengthens these populations directly, but also raises up their families and communities. The bipartisan commitment in the Senate to support women and girls’ fundamental rights and global empowerment is evident through this resolution. Now we must turn that message into meaningful policy.”
“Women around the globe have blazed trails and broken barriers in every field,” said Senator Collins. “International Women's Day celebrates the countless important social, economic, cultural, and political contributions that women have made and continue to make in the United States and around the world. In addition to recognizing those achievements, this resolution reaffirms our enduring commitment to work toward a world that guarantees basic human rights and empowers women of all ages.”
The resolution reaffirms the advancement of women around the globe as a U.S. foreign policy priority and emphasizes that women throughout the world:
- Have fundamental rights;
- Participate in the political, social and economic lives of their communities;
- Play a critical role in providing and caring for their families;
- Contribute substantially to economic growth and the prevention and resolution of conflict; and
- Play an important role in the advancement of food security for their communities.
Shaheen and Collins have led the International Women’s Day resolution in the U.S. Senate since 2011, and both are lead sponsors of the Global, Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act. The Global HER Act would permanently repeal the Global Gag Rule.
The only woman on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Shaheen has been a fierce advocate for women and girls in the United States and around the globe. Shaheen has prioritized issues to raise women up, such as opposing efforts to roll back women’s reproductive rights, fighting for the rights of sexual assault survivors, advocating on behalf of family planning and women’s global health, spearheading efforts to end violence against women, securing women leadership roles in conflict resolution and peace negotiations and authoring legislation to address barriers that girls around the world face in accessing education.
In 2018, bipartisan legislation co-authored by Senator Collins to help protect amateur athletes from sexual abuse was signed into law. Senators Shaheen and Collins previously reintroduced the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA). This bipartisan bill would ensure that combating gender-based violence around the world remains a top diplomatic and development priority for the United States. Senator Collins also introduced the Reach Every Mother and Child Act , which would strengthen the U.S. government’s efforts to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns, and young children in developing nations around the world. Today, Senator Collins and Ben Cardin (D-MD) announced that they are introducing the Girls Leadership, Engagement, and Advocacy in Development (LEAD) Act, bipartisan legislation that encourages civil and political leadership by adolescent girls.
The International Women’s Day resolution text can be read here.
