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Departments
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Celebrating The Accomplishments Of Women
By U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin
We honor the contributions of women in our society
throughout March during Women’s History Month. Started in
1978 as a weeklong celebration coinciding with International Women’s
Day, it has grown over the last 30 years to spotlight the great
accomplishments of women past and present, as well as the growing
opportunities for young girls.
Maryland’s history is rich with pioneering, bold women who
have made our state and our nation a better place. We are proud
of daughters including Harriett Ross Tubman, Rachel Carson, Barbara
Fritchie, Clara Barton, Gladys Noon Spellman, and Barbara Mikulski,
among many others.
Congress has a responsibility to the women in our lives to provide
real opportunities to all women who strive to break the glass ceilings
that have impeded their progress over the years.
Women make up the majority of the U.S. population, the majority
of voters and the majority of college students, according to the
Census Bureau. They oversee 83 percent of direct consumer spending,
own half of all public stock, make up more than 50 percent of the
talent pool and outlive men by an average of six years.
However, the financial playing field for women is not level. Poverty
disproportionately affects women. Nearly 13 million women live in
households with incomes below the Federal poverty level. Women earn
just 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man when job, age, education
and region are the same. African American women earn just 64 cents
and Hispanic women earn just 52 cents for every dollar earned by
a white man.
Nationwide, nearly one in five women ages 18-64 remain uninsured.
And the disparities between White women and minority women who have
health insurance are disturbing: 37.8% of Hispanic women, 35.9%
of American Indian/Alaska Native women, and 22.7% of Black women
do not have health coverage, compared to 16.9% of White women.
I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to find bipartisan
solutions that provide women with the income they need and deserve.
Among other legislative efforts I am working on to address these
issues, last July I introduced the Universal Health Coverage Act,
S. 1899. This legislation would make available quality, affordable
healthcare for all Americans. Mothers would no longer need to choose
between preventative care for themselves and their children or heating
their home through a cold winter. I also am working within the Senate
on measures to find a long-term fix for the current mortgage crisis
and credit crunch, which would help expand the buying power of women
and lift the entire economy. According to the National Women’s
Law Center, if women earned the same as men – when hours,
education, age, union membership and region were the same –
annual family incomes would increase about $4,000 and the poverty
rate would be cut in half.
Successful women create successful and stable families that improve
our economy and our communities. Women will be a driving force in
reversing our nation’s economic slowdown but we need to provide
effective tools to make that happen. This month and year-round we
all need to remember the struggles and achievements of the great
women in our lives and dedicate ourselves to providing real opportunities
to every woman and young girl because they will shape our nation’s
future.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sen. Cardin writes periodic columns for Maryland
publications. The following column about Women’s History Month
may be of interest to your readers. Please contact Susan Sullam
at susan_sullam@cardin.senate.gov
if you have any questions.
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PRECEDE: Senator Cardin is a member of five committees: Foreign
Relations, Judiciary, Environment and Public Works, Budget and Small
Business. His web site is: cardin.senate.gov
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