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<PRE>[DOCID: f:hr371eh.txt]
H. Res. 371

                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                        March 20, 2002.
Whereas Women's History Month provides our country the privilege of honoring the 
        countless contributions that American women have made throughout our 
        history;
Whereas these contributions have enriched our culture, strengthened our Nation, 
        and furthered the Founders' vision for a free and just Republic that 
        provides opportunity and safety at home and is an influence for peace 
        around the world;
Whereas since its beginnings, our land has been blessed by noteworthy women who 
        played defining roles in shaping our Nation. Sakajawea was a Native 
        American woman who befriended the explorers, Meriwether Lewis and 
        William Clark, 150 years ago as they crossed the great Northwest. She 
        helped Lewis and Clark's expedition complete the first successful 
        overland transcontinental journey. Lucretia Mott courageously wrote and 
        spoke against slavery and the lack of equal rights for women, helping 
        America recognize the inherent wrong in the institutional subjugation of 
        others and the need to strive for equality, freedom, and justice for 
        all. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in America awarded a 
        medical degree, and she dedicated her pioneering efforts as a physician 
        to helping others;
Whereas Helen Keller overcame debilitating physical disabilities, showing us the 
        power of a determined human spirit. Clara Barton developed a vision for 
        helping others through her service to the wounded during the Civil War. 
        She realized that vision by founding the American Red Cross after the 
        war, an organization that has since become renowned for its 
        effectiveness in helping those who suffer or are in need;
Whereas recently, the Red Cross reached out to aid Afghan women traumatized by 
        the repressive rule of the intolerant Taliban regime, which for years 
        had mercilessly oppressed Afghanistan and Afghan women in particular;
Whereas today, thousands of United States women are furthering the cause of 
        freedom through service in government, the military, and other 
        organizations, as we seek to defeat terrorism and bring justice to those 
        responsible for the September 11 attacks;
Whereas the history of American women is an expansive story of outstanding 
        individuals who sacrificed much and worked hard in pursuit of a better 
        world, where peace, dignity, and opportunity can reign;
Whereas the spirit of loving determination that shaped these pursuits continues 
        to serve as an example to those who seek to better our Nation;
Whereas American women of strength, vision, and character have long influenced 
        our country by contributing their time, efforts, and wisdom in vastly 
        diverse ways to improve and enhance our government and communities, our 
        schools and religious institutions, our businesses and the military, and 
        the arts and sciences;
Whereas women also have fundamentally shaped our civilization in the care and 
        nurturing of families; and
Whereas today, women in the United States are furthering the Founders' vision by 
        working to advance freedom, increase equality, and administer justice in 
        every corner of our land, through their everyday work in schoolrooms, 
        boardrooms, courtrooms, homes, and communities: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the many contributions American women have made to 
        help make our Nation free, strong, and a force for peace and justice 
        around the world;
            (2) encourages every American to learn more about these important 
        contributions and to celebrate their noble legacies as we work to build 
        a brighter future for our Nation and for all of the world's people; and
            (3) calls upon all the people of the United States to observe this 
        month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.

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