Women's History Month, 2000

Federal Register/Vol. 65, No. 42/Thursday, March 2, 2000/Presidential
Documents

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Proclamation 7277 of February 29, 2000

Women's History Month, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Last spring, three women astronauts paused during a
shuttle mission to pay homage to the past. Thousands of
miles into space, floating above the floor of the
shuttle, they raised a women's suffrage banner and
posed for a picture. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, a
participant in this special tribute and a member of the
President's Commission on the Celebration of Women in
American History, said, ``We wanted to show how far
women have come in this century and to honor the people
who fought for our rights.'' Each year during the month
of March, citizens across our country pause to honor
the many heroes whose diligence and determination have
helped to forge our Nation and enable people like Ellen
Ochoa and her colleagues to soar so high.

Women's History Month is about highlighting the
extraordinary achievements of women throughout our
history, while recognizing the equally significant
obstacles they had to overcome along the road to
success. It is about the women who bravely donned
uniforms and fought for our country. It is about the
passion and vision of women educators like Mary McLeod
Bethune, who, with only $1.50 in her pocket, founded a
school for young black women. It is about the
perseverance and pioneering spirit of women like
Margaret Chung, the first Chinese American woman
physician, who supported herself through medical school
by washing dishes and lecturing on China. It is about
Alice Paul's fight for the vote and Elizabeth Wanamaker
Peratrovich's campaign to end discrimination against
Alaska Natives. It is about the writings of Zora Neale
Hurston, the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, the
leadership of labor organizer Dolores Huerta, and the
trailblazing artistry of photographer Margaret Bourke-
White. It is also about the millions of unsung women
whose contributions have made life better for their
families and their communities.

Inspired by the courageous pioneers who came before
them, women today continue to shape our Nation's
destiny. Last year, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Eileen
Collins became the first woman commander of a space
shuttle mission. American violinists Sarah Chang,
Pamela Frank, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg were the
first women to take home the prestigious Avery Fisher
Prize in its 25-year history. And, in a game attended
by the largest crowd of all time for a women's sporting
event, the U.S. women's soccer team captured the World
Cup. Today, 58 women hold seats in the U.S. House of
Representatives, and 9 women are United States
Senators. More women hold high-level positions in my
Administration than in any other in history. And in the
private sector, women own nearly 9 million small
businesses, employing millions of Americans and
contributing significantly to the strength of our
economy.

As we honor the past and celebrate the present, we must
also focus on the future. Our choices today will have
an enormous impact on the destiny of our daughters and
granddaughters, our sons and grandsons. We must
rededicate ourselves to forging a society in which
gender no longer predetermines a person's opportunities
or station in life. We must shatter the glass ceiling;
eradicate wage discrimination; and ensure that every
American has

the tools to meet both family and work responsibilities
and to retire in security. By breaking down the
remaining barriers and opening wide the doors of
opportunity, we can make the future brighter for women
and for all Americans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do herebyproclaim March 2000 as Women's History
Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month
with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities,
and to remember throughout the year the many
contributions of courageous women who have made our
Nation strong.

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