WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY PROCLAMATION
USIA
24 August 1998
TEXT: WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY PROCLAMATION
(Clinton reaffirms equal pay commitment) (900)
Washington -- President Clinton has proclaimed August 26 as Women's
Equality Day in the United States, and reaffirmed his administration's
commitment to making equal pay for equal work a reality in the
workforce.
Clinton's proclamation noted that this year is the 35th anniversary of
the enactment of the Equal Pay Act and the 150th anniversary of the
first women's rights convention, which took place in Seneca Falls, New
York.
"As women continue to distinguish themselves in boardrooms,
classrooms, courtrooms and family rooms across America, we must renew
our efforts to empower all women with the rights and opportunities
promised by our founders and fought for by the heroic women and men
whose achievements we honor today," the president said.
Following is the text of Clinton's proclamation:
(Begin text)
WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY, 1998
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Since the earliest days of our democracy, Americans have taken great
pride and found great purpose in our pursuit of equality. It is a
right for which many have bravely struggled and the ideal that
challenges us even today to build a more perfect union and to forge a
future in which our children know no boundaries to their dreams. Each
year, on Women's Equality Day, we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit
of full equality for women and girls in our society.
This year, as we reflect on the magnificent journey and the
extraordinary heroines and heroes of the women's rights movement in
America, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first women's
rights convention, which took place in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848
and set our nation on a course toward equality. It was at this
historic gathering that pioneers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
Lucretia Mott, Mary Ann McClintock, and Frederick Douglass signed the
Declaration of Sentiments -- a document unequivocally affirming that
all men and women are created equal. Encouraged by the truth of their
convictions, these determined women and men set out to make equality
for women a reality in America.
In the decades following the convention at Seneca Falls, many of the
rights expressed in the prophetic Declaration of Sentiments became
law. The ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution
secured a woman's right to vote; the passage of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 barred employment discrimination; and the enactment of Title
IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 guaranteed equal opportunity in
education and sports.
This year, we recognize another milestone on the road to women's
equality: the 35th anniversary of the enactment of the Equal Pay Act,
which for the first time in our nation's history guaranteed equal pay
to women who perform the same jobs as men. Only a generation ago, a
woman could legally be paid less for her time and talent solely
because of her gender. Today, we realize that the denial of equal pay
not only unfairly limits a woman's ability to provide for her family's
economic security, but also diminishes her dignity by belittling the
value of her labor.
While we have made progress in closing this pay gap in the 35 years
since the enactment of the Equal Pay Act, women today continue to make
less than men for the same work -- earning 76 cents for every dollar
paid to a man. As we celebrate the Equal Pay Act's anniversary, we
must reaffirm our commitment to making equal pay for equal work a
reality in the workplace. My Administration supports new proposed
legislation that will close the pay gap completely, strengthen
enforcement of the Equal Pay Act, and toughen penalties for
violations.
My Administration is striving to ensure women's equality in other
areas of our society. We have dramatically increased the funding for
research, prevention, and treatment of diseases that predominantly
affect women. Through the Family and Medical Leave Act that I signed
and our proposed child care initiative, we are working to help women
balance their responsibilities at home and on the job. During the past
5 years, the Small Business Administration has tripled loans to
women-owned businesses, and we have strengthened enforcement of Title
IX to ensure that education programs, activities, and institutions
receiving Federal funds do not discriminate on the basis of gender.
On Women's Equality Day, as we look back on what we have accomplished,
we also recognize how far we have to go before we complete the journey
that began so long ago. As women continue to distinguish themselves in
boardrooms, classrooms, courtrooms, and family rooms across America,
we must renew our efforts to empower all women with the rights and
opportunities promised by our founders and fought for by the heroic
women and men whose achievements we honor today.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August
26, 1998, as Women's Equality Day. I call upon the citizens of our
great Nation to observe this day with appropriate programs and
activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of
August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred
and twenty-third.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
(End text)