2014 -- H 7898

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING MARCH 8TH, 2014, AS "INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY" IN THE

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives E Coderre, Costa, Finn, Lima, and Ackerman

     Date Introduced: March 06, 2014

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's, at a

time when women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and

active in campaigning for change; and

     WHEREAS, The first National Women's Day was observed in the United States on

February 28, 1909, in honor of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York City, where women

protested and demanded shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights; and

     WHEREAS, The first countries to honor International Women's Day in 1911 were

Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, where together more than one million women and

men attended International Women's Day rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote,

hold public office, and to discrimination in general; and

     WHEREAS, On March 25, 1911, only a week after these international rallies, a

disastrous event occurred known as the "Triangle Shirtwaist Fire" which took the lives of more

than 140 women in New York City, most of whom were Italian and Jewish immigrants; and

     WHEREAS, In 1914, on the eve of World War I, International Women's Day became

recognized worldwide on March 8th. Since then, March 8th has remained the day on which

International Women's Day is celebrated in the Unites States and worldwide, and this year marks

the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day; and

     WHEREAS, International Women's Day has more recently assumed a new, global

dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike; and

     WHEREAS, In 2013, International Women's Day was celebrated by this General

Assembly and honored Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and the other highest ranking women

in the three branches of Rhode Island state government; and

     WHEREAS, In 2014, the Rhode Island International Women's Day celebration will

honor:

     - Former Attorney General Arlene Violet who was the first female Attorney

General in the United States;

     - Lieutenant Colonel Karen Pinch who is the first woman ever to serve on the

command staff of the Rhode Island State Police;

     - Stacey Veroni, Chief of the Criminal Division and the highest ranking woman in

the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General; and

     - The other highest ranking or most senior women in Rhode Island's Police

Departments;

     All of whom work diligently, courageously and honorably to serve, protect, and preserve

the peace in our communities; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations is hereby honored to recognize March 8, 2014, as "International Women's

Day." We encourage all the citizens of the state to celebrate and pay tribute to the contributions

made by women of this and every nation; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-

moon.

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