Recognizing Women's History Month

This March, we recognize Women’s History Month.

From DNC Chairman Tim Kaine:

“Women’s History Month is an opportunity for our nation to reflect on and recognize the important role of women in our society. From the Seneca Falls Convention, to the 19th Amendment guaranteeing equal suffrage, to inspiring the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to Title IX, American women have a rich history of breaking down barriers.

“Democrats are proud that in the last year President Obama and the Democratic Congress have taken important steps on behalf of American women. Last summer President Obama nominated, and the Senate confirmed, Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, making her the third woman and the first Latina to serve in the nation’s highest court. Seven women (Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lisa Jackson, Janet Napolitano, Susan Rice, Christina Romer, Kathleen Sebelius, and Hilda Solis) currently serve in President Obama’s cabinet. President Obama pledged during the Presidential campaign that he would ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, and he kept that promise. The first major piece of legislation President Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which legally entitles women to equal pay for equal work.

“But we have much more work to do. Women have a great deal at stake with the President’s health insurance reform bill – women are often charged higher premiums than men and are denied coverage because of so-called pre-existing conditions like c-sections or domestic violence. Democrats are committed to passing comprehensive health reform legislation that will once and for all end gender discrimination in our health insurance system.”

DNC Women’s Caucus Chairwoman Mame Reiley:

“During March we reflect on the great strides women have made in our march towards equality, and we recommit ourselves to the work we have left ahead of us. Trail blazers like Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, Rosa Parks and Shirley Chisholm laid the groundwork that has allowed today’s women to work in the professions of our choosing, pursue economic security, and seek elective office at all levels.

We have made great progress since we gained the right to vote in 1920 – women currently hold 76 seats in the House and 17 U.S. Senators are female. However, even though 53 percent of the electorate in 2008 was female, our elected bodies still do not reflect the composition of America. During Women’s History Month, let us remind ourselves of the progress we have made as we pledge to continue the work that our sisters began over 150 years ago."