WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) released the following statement in recognition of tomorrow’s International Women's Day and in support of the goals behind “A Day Without A Woman”. March is Women’s History Month.
“As we recognize the outstanding achievements and invaluable social, economic, political and cultural contributions of women in the U.S. and abroad, we must redouble our efforts in the fight for equal rights for our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.
“We cannot lose sight of the millions of women around the world who need us to stand up, raise our voices and protect them. Every day, women in every corner of the globe grapple with extraordinary challenges just to get an education, learn to read and write, hold a job, find enough food, and protect their children from being forced into a militia or trafficked on the open market for slave labor – or even worse.
“There are women who suffer the harshest punishments of Sharia Law, women fleeing the Syrian civil war, women risking their lives and their children’s lives to escape the violence and cross the Mediterranean. At our own borders, we can’t ignore the women and their children fleeing violence and unrest in Latin America.
“I will continue to fight on behalf of women and their families today, this month, and every day. On this International Women’s Day, let us all vow—in the spirit of compassion that makes our nation great, and in recognition that gender equality will make us greater—to take action in ensuring all women and girls can achieve their ambitions.”
Later this month, Sen. Menendez will hold his Seventh Annual Women’s History Month Celebration, honoring six pioneering New Jersey women with the Evangelina Menendez Trailblazer Award, in memory of his late mother.
Sen. Menendez has a long history of standing up for women’s rights. He is the prime sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to enshrine in law, once and for all, the notion that women have the exact same rights as men. He fought hard to pass into law the landmark Fair Pay Act, which takes significant steps to close the wage gap and provides fair recourse for those who experience pay discrimination. He was the lead sponsor of the bipartisan End Modern Slavery Initiative Act, which will create a powerful public-private partnership to help eliminate modern slavery around the globe; an original co-sponsor of the International Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); and an original co-sponsor of the International Women’s Day resolution.
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