2014 -- S 2736

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LC004966

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING MARCH 8TH, 2014, AS "INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY" IN THE

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     

     Introduced By: Senators Nesselbush, Goodwin, Sosnowski, Paiva Weed, and Cool

     Date Introduced: March 06, 2014

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

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     WHEREAS, International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's, at a

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time when women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and

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active in campaigning for change; and

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     WHEREAS, The first National Women's Day was observed in the United States on

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February 28, 1909, in honor of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York City, where women

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protested and demanded shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights; and

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     WHEREAS, The first countries to honor International Women's Day in 1911 were

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Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, where together more than one million women and

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men attended International Women's Day rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote,

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hold public office, and to discrimination in general; and

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     WHEREAS, On March 25, 1911, only a week after these international rallies, a

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disastrous event occurred known as the "Triangle Shirtwaist Fire" which took the lives of more

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than 140 women in New York City, most of whom were Italian and Jewish immigrants; and

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     WHEREAS, In 1914, on the eve of World War I, International Women's Day became

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recognized worldwide on March 8th. Since then, March 8th has remained the day on which

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International Women's Day is celebrated in the Unites States and worldwide, and this year marks

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the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day; and

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     WHEREAS, International Women's Day has more recently assumed a new, global

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dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike; and

 

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     WHEREAS, In 2013, International Women's Day was celebrated by this General

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Assembly and honored Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and the other highest ranking women

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in the three branches of Rhode Island state government; and

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     WHEREAS, In 2014, the Rhode Island International Women's Day celebration will

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honor:

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     - Former Attorney General Arlene Violet who was the first female Attorney

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General in the United States;

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     - Lieutenant Colonel Karen Pinch who is the first woman ever to serve on the

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command staff of the Rhode Island State Police;

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     - Stacey Veroni, Chief of the Criminal Division and the highest ranking woman in

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the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General; and

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     - The other highest ranking or most senior women in Rhode Island's Police

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Departments;

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     All of whom work diligently, courageously and honorably to serve, protect, and preserve

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the peace in our communities; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is

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hereby honored to recognize March 8, 2014, as "International Women's Day." We encourage all

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the citizens of the state to celebrate and pay tribute to the contributions made by women of this

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and every nation; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-

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moon.

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LC004966

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