2014 -- S 2736

Enacted 03/06/14

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 Rumsey

Date Introduced: March 06, 2014

WHEREAS, International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's, at a time when women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change; and

WHEREAS, The first National Women's Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, in honor of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York City, where women protested and demanded shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights; and

WHEREAS, The first countries to honor International Women's Day in 1911 were Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, where together more than one million women and men attended International Women's Day rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, hold public office, and to discrimination in general; and

WHEREAS, On March 25, 1911, only a week after these international rallies, a disastrous event occurred known as the "Triangle Shirtwaist Fire" which took the lives of more than 140 women in New York City, most of whom were Italian and Jewish immigrants; and

WHEREAS, In 1914, on the eve of World War I, International Women's Day became recognized worldwide on March 8th. Since then, March 8th has remained the day on which International Women's Day is celebrated in the Unites States and worldwide, and this year marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day; and

WHEREAS, International Women's Day has more recently assumed a new, global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, International Women's Day was celebrated by this General Assembly and honored Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and the other highest ranking women in the three branches of Rhode Island state government; and

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

- Former Attorney General Arlene Violet who was the first female Attorney General in the United States;

- Lieutenant Colonel Karen Pinch who is the first woman ever to serve on the command staff of the Rhode Island State Police;

- Stacey Veroni, Chief of the Criminal Division and the highest ranking woman in the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General; and

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

All of whom work diligently, courageously and honorably to serve, protect, and preserve the peace in our communities; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is hereby honored to recognize March 8, 2014, as "International Women's Day." We encourage all the citizens of the state to celebrate and pay tribute to the contributions made by women of this and every nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.