WHEREAS, American women of every culture, class, and ethnic background have participated in the founding and building of our nation, made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our nation, and played a critical role in shaping the economic, cultural, and social fabric of our society, not in the least of ways through their participation in the labor force, working both inside and outside the home; and

WHEREAS, Women have been leaders in every movement for social change, including their own movement for suffrage and equal rights, the fight for emancipation, the struggle to organize labor unions, and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as leading the call for peace and organizing to preserve the environment; and

WHEREAS, In light of these efforts and the achievements of all American women, we take this opportunity to honor women and their contributions to the development of our society and our world; and

WHEREAS, The celebration of Women’s History Month will provide an opportunity for schools and communities to focus attention on the historical role and accomplishments of the women of California and the United States and for students, in particular, to benefit from an awareness of these contributions; and

WHEREAS, Women’s History Month will be not only a call to acknowledge the outstanding American women whose names we know, but also a call to pay homage to the many women who have anonymously shaped our collective past; and

WHEREAS, The observance of Women’s History Week was initiated by the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women in 1978, a celebration that evolved into Women’s History Month, commemorated throughout the nation by schools, historians, and community groups; and

WHEREAS, The achievements of women who have gone before us will enable contemporary women and men to create tomorrow’s history by working toward an end to physical and sexual violence against women, discrimination and harassment in employment, and the relegation to poverty status of many women, and by advocating for the full participation of women in the economic and political arena, the provision of adequate childcare, respect for those who choose homemaking and motherhood as their career, and equal access to all of the opportunities this great nation has to offer; and

WHEREAS, The story of the Women’s Rights Movement deserves telling because of the significance and scope of the role of women in making history and shaping the cultural and societal makeup of California and the United States, and because it is a rich part of our common heritage, a story of gallantry and devotion to the belief that the opportunity for complete human dignity should not be denied to one-half of the state and the nation; now, therefore, be it