Women's History Month, 2016

Proclamation 9402 of February 29, 2016

Women's History Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Throughout history, women have driven humanity forward
on the path to a more equal and just society,
contributing in innumerable ways to our character and
progress as a people. In the face of discrimination and
undue hardship, they have never given up on the promise
of America: that with hard work and determination,
nothing is out of reach. During Women's History Month,
we remember the trailblazers of the past, including the
women who are not recorded in our history books, and we
honor their legacies by carrying forward the valuable
lessons learned from the powerful examples they set.

For too long, women were formally excluded from full
participation in our society and our democracy. Because
of the courage of so many bold women who dared to
transcend preconceived expectations and prove they were
capable of doing all that a man could do and more,
advances were made, discoveries were revealed, barriers
were broken, and progress triumphed. Whether serving in
elected positions across America, leading
groundbreaking civil rights movements, venturing into
unknown frontiers, or programming revolutionary
technologies, generations of women that knew their
gender was no obstacle to what they could accomplish
have long stirred new ideas and opened new doors,
having a profound and positive impact on our Nation.
Through hardship and strife and in every realm of life,
women have spurred change in communities around the
world, steadfastly joining together to overcome
adversity and lead the charge for a fairer, more
inclusive, and more progressive society.

During Women's History Month, we honor the countless
women who sacrificed and strived to ensure all people
have an equal shot at pursuing the American dream. As
President, the first bill I signed into law was the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, making it easier for
working American women to effectively challenge
illegal, unequal pay disparities. Additionally, my
Administration proposed collecting pay data from
businesses to shine a light on pay discrimination, and
I signed an Executive Order to ensure the Federal
Government only works with and awards contracts to
businesses that follow laws that uphold fair and equal
labor practices. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act,
insurance companies can no longer charge women more for
health insurance simply because of their gender. And
last year, we officially opened for women the last jobs
left unavailable to them in our military, because one
of the best ways to ensure our Armed Forces remains the
strongest in the world is to draw on the talents and
skills of all Americans.

Though we have made great progress toward achieving
gender equality, work remains to be done. Women still
earn, on average, less for every dollar made by men,
which is why I continue to call on the Congress to pass
the Paycheck Fairness Act--a sensible step to provide
women with basic tools to fight pay discrimination.
Meanwhile, my Administration has taken steps to support
working families by fighting for paid leave for all
Americans, providing women with more small business
loans and opportunities, and addressing the challenges
still faced by women and girls of color,

who consistently face wider opportunity gaps and
structural barriers--including greater discrepancies in
pay. And although the majority of our Nation's college
and graduate students are women, they are still
underrepresented in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics, which is why we are encouraging more
women and girls to pursue careers in these fields.

This May, the White House will host a summit on ``The
United State of Women,'' to highlight the advances we
have made in the United States and across the globe and
to expand our efforts on helping women confront the
challenges they face and reach for their highest
aspirations. We must strive to build the future we want
our children to inherit--one in which their dreams are
not deferred or denied, but where they are uplifted and
praised. We have come far, but there is still far to go
in shattering the glass ceiling that holds women back.
This month, as we reflect on the marks made by women
throughout history, let us uphold the responsibility
that falls on all of us--regardless of gender--and
fight for equal opportunity for our daughters as well
as our sons.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim March 2016 as Women's
History Month. I call upon all Americans to observe
this month and to celebrate International Women's Day
on March 8, 2016, with appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities. I also invite all Americans
to visit www.WomensHistoryMonth.gov to learn more about
the generations of women who have left enduring
imprints on our history.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.