Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4700

 124 STAT. 4674 PROCLAMATION 8548—AUG. 26, 2010 Proclamation 8548 of August 26, 2010 Women’s Equality Day, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Ninety years ago, on August 26, 1920, the ratification of the 19th Amendment to our Constitution was completed, guaranteeing women the right to vote, renewing our commitment to equality and justice, and marking a turning point in our Nation’s history. As we celebrate this important milestone and the achievements and shattered ceilings of the past, we also recognize the inequalities that remain and our charge to overcome them. In a letter to John Adams, who was then serving as a delegate to the First Continental Congress, Abigail Adams once implored her husband to ‘‘remember the ladies’’ in the ‘‘new code of laws’’ of our fledgling country. It has taken the collective efforts of daring and tenacious women over many generations to realize the principles and freedoms enshrined in our Constitution. Standing on the shoulders of these trail- blazers, we pay tribute to the brave women who dot the pages of our history books, and to those who have quietly broken barriers in our workplaces, communities, and society. We can see the remarkable fruits of past struggles and victories today. For nearly two centuries, America could only imagine a female justice sitting on the Supreme Court of the United States. Today, for the first time in our Nation’s history, three women sit on the bench of the high- est court of the land, and I am proud to be the first President to nomi- nate two women to the Court. Women lead in boardrooms and in our Armed Forces, in classrooms and conference rooms, and in every sec- tor of society. Their boundless determination has enabled today’s young women to dream bigger as they see themselves reflected at the highest levels of business, communications, and public service—in- cluding in my Administration and Cabinet. If we continue to fight for our hopes and aspirations, there will be no limit to the possibilities for our daughters and granddaughters. As we celebrate 90 years of progress on Women’s Equality Day, we also recognize the realities of the present. Women comprise less than one- fifth of our Congress and account for a mere fraction of the chief execu- tives at the helm of our biggest companies. Women hold only 27 per- cent of jobs in science and engineering, which are critical to our eco- nomic growth in a 21st-century economy. And, almost 50 years after the Equal Pay Act was enacted, American women still only earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn. This gap increases among minority women and those living with disabilities. These disparities remind us that our work remains unfinished. My Ad- ministration remains committed to advancing women’s equality in all areas of our society and around the world. I was proud to create the White House Council on Women and Girls to help ensure that Amer- ican women and girls are treated fairly in all matters of public policy. I also appointed the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, whose leadership will guide my Administration in con- fronting violence and sexual assault against women. The Lilly