Bill Text: CA SCR13 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: International Women’s Day.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-03-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 22, Statutes of 2019. [SCR13 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SCR13-Chaptered.html
| Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 13 |
| CHAPTER 22 |
Relative to International Women’s Day.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
March 27, 2019.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 13, Jackson.
International Women’s Day.
This measure designates March 8, 2019, as International Women’s Day.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee: NOBill Text
WHEREAS, International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labor movements at the turn of the 20th century in North America and across Europe; and
WHEREAS, The first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States in 1909 in honor of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions; and
WHEREAS, International Women’s Day was marked for the first time in 1911 by Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies demanding the rights for women to vote and to hold public office, women’s rights to work, to vocational training, and to an end to discrimination on the job; and
WHEREAS, In 1913–14, International Women’s Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War I. As part of the peace movement, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February, and elsewhere in Europe, on or around March 8 of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists; and
WHEREAS, In 1917, against the backdrop of the war, women in Russia again chose to protest and strike for “Bread and Peace” on the last Sunday in February, which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar. Four days later, the Czar abdicated and the provisional government granted women the right to vote; and
WHEREAS, In 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8; and
WHEREAS, In 1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and the international treaty, described as an international bill of rights for women, was instituted on September 3, 1981, and has been ratified by 189 states; and
WHEREAS, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas; and
WHEREAS, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities; and
WHEREAS, The United Nations has designated the theme for the 2019 International Women’s Day as “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change.” The theme will focus on innovative ways to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services, and sustainable infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, The achievement of the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals requires transformational shifts, integrated approaches, and new solutions, particularly when it comes to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Based on current trajectories, existing interventions will not suffice to achieve the United Nations’ goal of Planet 50-50, a fully gender-integrated planet, by 2030. Innovative approaches that disrupt “business and usual” are central to removing structural barriers and ensuring that no woman and no girl is left behind; and
WHEREAS, Innovation and technology provide unprecedented opportunities, yet trends indicate a growing gender digital divide, and women are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design. This prevents women from developing and influencing gender-responsive innovations to achieve transformative gains for society. From mobile banking to artificial intelligence and the internet, it is vital that women’s ideas and experiences equally influence the design and implementation of the innovations that will shape our future societies; and
WHEREAS, International Women’s Day stands as a reminder of the long history of women’s social activism and organizing; fighting for equal wages, better working conditions, and the right to vote and that while women make up more than one-half of our population, they are disproportionately represented in our state; too few in leadership positions and too many who live in poverty; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates March 8, 2019, as International Women’s Day; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
