Bill Text: CA SCR121 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: International Women’s Day.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-1)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-31 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 76, Statutes of 2024. [SCR121 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SCR121-Enrolled.html

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Enrolled  May 24, 2024

Passed  IN  Senate  March 18, 2024

Passed  IN  Assembly  May 22, 2024

Amended  IN  Senate  March 12, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Concurrent Resolution

No. 121

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Introduced by Senator Wahab
(Coauthors: Senators Atkins, Blakespear, Caballero, Hurtado, Limón, Menjivar, Ochoa Bogh, Rubio, and Skinner)

March 05, 2024

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Relative to International Women’s Day.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SCR 121, Wahab. International Women’s Day.

This measure designates March 8, 2024, as International Women’s Day.

Digest Key

Fiscal Committee: NO  

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Bill Text

WHEREAS, International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labor movements at the turn of the 20th century in North America and across Europe; and

WHEREAS, The first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States in 1909 in honor of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions; and

WHEREAS, International Women’s Day was marked for the first time in 1911 by Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies demanding the rights for women to vote, to hold public office, to work, and to receive vocational training, and demanding an end to discrimination on the job; and

WHEREAS, In 1913–14, International Women’s Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War I. As part of the peace movement, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February, and elsewhere in Europe, on or around March 8 of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists; and

WHEREAS, In 1917, against the backdrop of the war, women in Russia again chose to protest and strike for “Bread and Peace” on the last Sunday in February, which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar. Four days later, the Czar abdicated and the provisional government granted women the right to vote; and

WHEREAS, In 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8; and

WHEREAS, In 1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and the international treaty, described as an international bill of rights for women, was instituted on September 3, 1981, and has been ratified by 189 states; and

WHEREAS, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas; and

WHEREAS, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities; and

WHEREAS, The United Nations has designated the theme for the 2024 International Women’s Day as “Invest in women: Accelerate progress.” The theme uplifts the need to secure rights for women across all domains in order to ensure prosperous and just economies and a healthy planet for future generations; and

WHEREAS, One of the key challenges in achieving gender equality by 2030 is an alarming lack of financing with a staggering $360 billion annual deficit in spending on gender-equality measures; and

WHEREAS, Austerity negatively impacts women and crowds out public spending on essential public services and social protection; and

WHEREAS, To uphold women’s rights and fully leverage the potential of women’s leadership where funding and financing are concerned, the perspectives of women and girls in all of their diversity must be integrated in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs in all spheres and at all stages of economic recovery; and

WHEREAS, Innovation and technology provide unprecedented opportunities, yet trends indicate a growing gender digital divide, and women are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and design. This prevents women from developing and influencing gender-responsive innovations to achieve transformative gains for society. From mobile banking to artificial intelligence and the internet, it is vital that women’s ideas and experiences equally influence the design and implementation of the innovations that will shape our future societies; and

WHEREAS, International Women’s Day stands as a reminder of the long history of women’s social activism and organizing; calls attention to the fight for equal wages, better working conditions, and the right to vote; highlights the fact that while women make up more than one-half of our population, they are disproportionately represented in our state; and brings awareness that too few women are in leadership positions and too many live in poverty; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates March 8, 2024, as International Women’s Day; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.