Women's Equality Day, 2016

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 30, 2016)]

[Presidential Documents]

[Pages 59421-59423]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2016-20949]

Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 168 / Tuesday, August 30, 2016 /

Presidential Documents

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Title 3--

The President

[[Page 59421]]

Proclamation 9477 of August 25, 2016

Women's Equality Day, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Nearly one century ago, with boundless courage and

relentless commitment, dedicated women who had marched,

advocated, and organized for the right to cast a vote

finally saw their efforts rewarded on August 26, 1920,

when the 19th Amendment was certified and the right to

vote was secured. In the decades that followed, that

precious right has bolstered generations of women and

empowered them to stand up, speak out, and steer the

country they love in a more equal direction. Today, as

we celebrate the anniversary of this hard-won

achievement and pay tribute to the trailblazers and

suffragists who moved us closer to a more just and

prosperous future, we resolve to protect this

constitutional right and pledge to continue fighting

for equality for women and girls.

ction. Today, as

we celebrate the anniversary of this hard-won

achievement and pay tribute to the trailblazers and

suffragists who moved us closer to a more just and

prosperous future, we resolve to protect this

constitutional right and pledge to continue fighting

for equality for women and girls.

At every level of society, women are leaders at the

forefront of progress. Serving as judges and Members of

Congress, setting world records in sports, founding

groundbreaking companies, and fighting on the front

lines of combat, women continue to tear down barriers

and shatter glass ceilings--just as they have done

since the founding of our Nation. Yet such progress is

not inevitable, and we must keep moving forward on our

journey toward equality. In one of my first acts as

President, I established the White House Council on

Women and Girls to provide a coordinated response to

challenges confronted by women and girls, ensuring

their concerns and insights are taken into account in

our policies and programs. And this year, my

Administration hosted the first-ever United State of

Women Summit to continue our efforts to underscore the

passion, success, and ongoing commitment of advocates

dedicated to advancing gender equality and realizing a

brighter future for women of all ages.

our policies and programs. And this year, my

Administration hosted the first-ever United State of

Women Summit to continue our efforts to underscore the

passion, success, and ongoing commitment of advocates

dedicated to advancing gender equality and realizing a

brighter future for women of all ages.

No woman should earn less than a man for doing the same

job--equal pay for equal work should be a fundamental

principle of our economy and our democracy. That is why

the first bill I signed into law as President was the

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and why I continue to

call on the Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Women make up roughly half of our workforce, and we

need to invest more in affordable, high-quality

childcare. We must strengthen paid sick, maternity, and

family leave--too many families are forced to make

difficult choices between caring for a newborn and

receiving a paycheck, or staying home to help a sick

child or parent and keeping their job. And we must

continue striving for fairness and opportunity when it

comes to improving workplace policies, because we know

that when women succeed, our economy and our country

succeed.

ring for a newborn and

receiving a paycheck, or staying home to help a sick

child or parent and keeping their job. And we must

continue striving for fairness and opportunity when it

comes to improving workplace policies, because we know

that when women succeed, our economy and our country

succeed.

Ensuring all young women can live full and healthy

lives is vital to their pursuit of personal and

professional goals. Because of the Affordable Care Act,

individuals can no longer be charged higher premiums

simply for being a woman. But there is still more we

can do to reduce discrimination when it comes to

women's health--such as protecting a woman's right to

choose and safeguarding access to sexual and

reproductive health services, including abortion. Every

person should be able to live and reach for their

dreams free from fear of violence: In America, nearly

one in four women has suffered physical domestic

violence, a cruelty which deprives its victims

[[Page 59422]]

of their autonomy, liberty, and security, and inhibits

them from reaching their full potential. Approximately

one in five women is sexually assaulted while in

college. Through the It's On Us campaign and the White

House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual

Assault, we have called on individuals, communities,

and institutions of higher education to recognize what

they can do to stop sexual assault and change our

culture for the better

lted while in

college. Through the It's On Us campaign and the White

House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual

Assault, we have called on individuals, communities,

and institutions of higher education to recognize what

they can do to stop sexual assault and change our

culture for the better. We have striven to support

survivors and focused on making sure our schools are

safe places where all students can learn, grow, and

thrive. Transgender women often face escalated levels

of discrimination and violence, and we have taken a

number of steps to secure their civil rights, including

providing guidance to educators that can help rid

school environments of discrimination. The Department

of Justice has also urged law enforcement agencies to

address any form of gender bias that exists in

responding to domestic violence and sexual assault and

ensure that such bias does not undermine efforts to

keep victims safe.

Underrepresented in management positions, underfunded

as entrepreneurs, under-encouraged in STEM fields, and

confronted with higher levels of unemployment, women

and girls of color still face very real challenges,

significant opportunity gaps, and structural barriers.

That is why we have hosted forums to discuss ways to

increase programming and promote opportunities for

women and girls of color so they can achieve success at

school, at work, and in their communities

and girls of color still face very real challenges,

significant opportunity gaps, and structural barriers.

That is why we have hosted forums to discuss ways to

increase programming and promote opportunities for

women and girls of color so they can achieve success at

school, at work, and in their communities. To continue

building these ladders of opportunity for women--not

just in communities across our country, but also around

the world--I have made advancing gender equality a

foreign policy priority. My Administration has sought

to end gender-based violence across the globe, promote

the role of women in ending conflict and building

lasting peace and security, and empower the next

generation by investing in adolescent girls and

breaking down barriers to get 62 million girls into

schools through the Let Girls Learn initiative.

In the many decades since suffragists organized and

mobilized, countless advocates and leaders have picked

up the mantle and moved our Nation and our world

forward. Today, young women in America grow up knowing

an historic truth--that not only can they cast a vote,

but they can also run for office and help shape the

very democracy that once left them out. For these

women, and for generations of women to come, we must

keep building a more equal America--whether through the

stories we tell about our Nation's history or the faces

we display on our country's currency

but they can also run for office and help shape the

very democracy that once left them out. For these

women, and for generations of women to come, we must

keep building a more equal America--whether through the

stories we tell about our Nation's history or the faces

we display on our country's currency. On Women's

Equality Day, as we recognize the accomplishments that

so many women fought so hard to achieve, we rededicate

ourselves to tackling the challenges that remain and

expanding opportunity for women and girls everywhere.

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 August 26, 2016, as

Women's Equality Day. I call upon the people of the

United States to celebrate the achievements of women

and promote gender equality.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord two

thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United

States of America the two hundred and forty-first.

(Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-20949

Filed 8-29-16; 8:45 am]

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