Lynn C. Woolsey: “I rise in support of honoring Women's History Month. Women were once considered second-class citizens whose rights were…”

“I rise in support of honoring Women's History Month. Women were once considered second-class citizens whose rights were restricted from voting to property ownership. But today, women serve in the Senate. They serve in the House of Representatives; as members of the President's Cabinet, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. It's important that we honor the key role women have played in shaping our country. However, it wasn't until the late 1970s that women's history was taught in our schools, and it was almost completely absent in media coverage and cultural celebrations. That's why the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women, of which I was Chair, initiated a 'Women's History Week.' That was a celebration in 1978 centered around International Women's History Day. The National Women's History Project, later located in my district, was founded in 1980 by many of the same dedicated women who started Women's History Day.”