Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the International Women's Day. Rooted in the long-term struggle for equality, International Women's Day has been observed since the beginning of the last century, at a time when American women were fighting for basic rights, such as voting or fair employment. We should commemorate the determined and courageous women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women's rights. While women have made hard fought and important strides towards equality since then, they continue to face significant obstacles in all aspects of their lives, particularly those living in poverty. Over a billion people worldwide live on a dollar a day or less--and women are most likely to be among them. This is a problem that affects all of humanity--when women are poor, entire communities suffer because they are not free to earn an income, feed their families, or protect themselves and their children from violence. And their efforts are critical to rebuilding countries in peril like Afghanistan and Haiti. Until women around the world have improved access to economic, political and social opportunities, the great challenges we face today will go unresolved. Indeed, investing in women and girls is one of the most efficient uses of our foreign assistance dollars and best ways to make the world more peaceful and prosperous.…
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