The 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day on March 8 2011
Press Statement of Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State, Washington, DC
March 8th is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. And, as many of you know, this anniversary is important to me. At the 1995 Beijing conference, I was so humbled by the positive response to my message that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights. But 16 years later, women still bear the brunt of poverty, war, disease, and famine. And when it comes to the boardroom meetings, government sessions, peace negotiations, and other assemblies where crucial decisions are made in the world, women are too often absent.
It is clear that more work needs to be done—to consolidate our gains and to keep momentum moving forward.
The United States continues to make women a cornerstone of our foreign policy. It’s not just the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing. Women and girls drive our economies. They build peace and prosperity. Investing in them means investing in global economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity for everyone—the world over.
So let us mark this day by finding ways to ensure women and girls’ access to education, healthcare, jobs, and credit, and to protect their right to live free from violence.
Secretary Clinton hosts 2011 International Women of Courage Awards ceremony
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at the 2011 International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2011. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]
Secretary Clinton hosts 2011 International Women of Courage Awards ceremony in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. Pictured with her are First Lady Michelle Obama and the honorees. State Department photo by Michael Gross.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, center right, and First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, center left, pose for a photo with the honorees of the 2011 International Women of Courage Awards at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2011. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]
Vice President Biden spent most of this 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day with Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi (both women!).
In his remarks with President Halonen, the Vice President said: “Finland has been a leader in the world, a pioneer when it comes to women having the right to an equal place in society. And I believe that to be the single greatest moral imperative of our time.”
He went on to say, “The single most significant thing we can do in the 21st century to improve the prospect of peace and security is to educate more women and to have women, particularly in other parts of the less developed world, have equal access to opportunity.”
“And if there’s any nation in which I can stand with on the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, this is the most appropriate place to stand,” the Vice President added.
Vice President Joe Biden walks with Finnish President Tarja Halonen at the Presidential Palace, in Helsinki, Finland, March 8, 2011. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
Vice President Joe Biden stops for a photo with Finnish Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi at the House of Estates, in Helsinki, Finland, March 8, 2011. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
These photos weren't readily available yesterday when I posted International Woman's Day... Daniel Craig In Drag, You've Got a Long Way to Go, Baby and there isn't as many photos or information on the International Women of Courage Awards honorees as there was last year when I posted A Woman of Courage: Jestina Mukoko was abducted, beaten, tortured and forced to confess