WHEREAS, In 1981 the first Congressional Resolution was passed acknowledging the importance of women in American history. For the past 15 years, National Women's History celebrations have served as the catalyst for people throughout the land to challenge traditional views of history; and

WHEREAS, Multi-cultural women's history has repeatedly demonstrated the power of a more expansive world view to liberate and inspire the human spirit and imagination; and

WHEREAS, History is replete with the stories of women whose lives and work have transformed American communities and overturned the inhibiting ideas of their day; and

WHEREAS, Women's history is also about countless women who lived out their lives quietly at the center of family life. Together with their more celebrated sisters, these women represent many and varied cultures, faiths, aspirations and beliefs, and they all have made significant contributions to building our society and culture; and

WHEREAS, This enlightened view of history encourages us all to see ourselves and our connection to the past from a different, vital perspective which allows us to take advantage of new, dramatic opportunities that are daily coming into being for both women and men; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby recognizes and honors the crucial role played by women throughout the history of the Ocean State and the nation by proclaiming March 1996 to be "Women's History Month in Rhode Island"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the National Women's History Project.