Women's History Month, 2011

Proclamation 8630 of February 28, 2011

Women's History Month, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During Women's History Month, we reflect on the
extraordinary accomplishments of women and honor their
role in shaping the course of our Nation's history.
Today, women have reached heights their mothers and
grandmothers might only have imagined. Women now
comprise nearly half of our workforce and the majority
of students in our colleges and universities. They
scale the skies as astronauts, expand our economy as
entrepreneurs and business leaders, and serve our
country at the highest levels of government and our
Armed Forces. In honor of the pioneering women who came
before us, and in recognition of those who will come
after us, this month, we recommit to erasing the
remaining inequities facing women in our day.

This year, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of
International Women's Day, a global celebration of the
economic, political, and social achievements of women
past, present, and future. International Women's Day is
a chance to pay tribute to ordinary women throughout
the world and is rooted in women's centuries-old
struggle to participate in society on an equal footing
with men. This day reminds us that, while enormous
progress has been made, there is still work to be done
before women achieve true parity.

My Administration has elevated the rights of women and
girls abroad as a critical aspect of our foreign and
national security policy. Empowering women across the
globe is not simply the right thing to do, it is also
smart foreign policy. This knowledge is reflected in
the National Security Strategy of the United States,
which recognizes that countries are more peaceful and
prosperous when their female citizens enjoy equal
rights, equal voices, and equal opportunities. Today,
we are integrating a focus on women and girls in all
our diplomatic efforts, and incorporating gender
considerations in every aspect of our development
assistance. We are working to build the participation
of women into all aspects of conflict prevention and
resolution, and we are continuing to lead in combating
the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence, both
bilaterally and at the United Nations.

In America, we must lead by example in protecting
women's rights and supporting their empowerment.
Despite our progress, too many women continue to be
paid less than male workers, and women are
significantly underrepresented in the science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
By tapping into the potential and talents of all our
citizens, we can utilize an enormous source of economic
growth and prosperity. The White House Council on Women
and Girls has continued to remove obstacles to
achievement by addressing the rate of violence against
women, supporting female entrepreneurs, and
prioritizing the economic security of women. American
families depend largely on the financial stability of
women, and my Administration continues to prioritize
policies that promote workplace flexibility, access to
affordable, quality health care and child care, support
for family caregivers, and the enforcement of equal pay
laws. I have also called on every agency in the Federal
Government to be part of the solution to ending
violence against women, and they have responded with
unprecedented cooperation to protect victims of
domestic and sexual violence and enable survivors to
break the cycle of abuse.

As we reflect on the triumphs of the past, we must also
look to the limitless potential that lies ahead. To win
the future, we must equip the young women of today with
the knowledge, skills, and equal access to reach for
the promise of tomorrow. My Administration is making
unprecedented investments in education and is working
to expand opportunities for women and girls in the STEM
fields critical for growth in the 21st-century economy.

As we prepare to write the next chapter of women's
history, let us resolve to build on the progress won by
the trailblazers of the past. We must carry forward the
work of the women who came before us and ensure our
daughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles
to their achievements, and no remaining ceilings to
shatter.

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 2011 as Women's
History Month. I call upon all Americans to observe
this month and to celebrate International Women's Day
on March 8, 2011 with appropriate programs, ceremonies,
and activities that honor the history, accomplishments,
and contributions of American women. I also invite all
Americans to visit www.WomensHistoryMonth.gov to learn
more about the generations of women who have shaped our
history.

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