Governor’s Proclamation for International Women’s Day 2021

Gov. Jay Inslee has proclaimed today International Women’s Day.

Read the text:

WHEREAS, International Women’s Day celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future. The theme for 2021 is “Women in leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World”; and

WHEREAS, Washington state’s women stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, as health care workers, emergency responders, caregivers, innovators, community organizers, and in other crucial roles, and have been leaders in the long march towards gender equality; and

WHEREAS, despite many advances, the pandemic has also heightened gender inequality experienced by women, and in 2020, women nationwide had lost a net of 5 .4 million jobs-more than a million more than men; and

WHEREAS, despite many advances, women were already experiencing areas of persistent gender inequality, and women, especially minority women, continue to suffer the consequences of unequal treatment and pay; and

WHEREAS, the gender pay gap begins when women enter the workforce and has lasting effects that impact the economic security over a woman’s lifetime through her retirement, specifically in 2018, Washington women working full time were paid just 75.4 percent of median weekly earnings as their male counterparts; and

WHEREAS, fair pay, and telework and affordable child care options help strengthen economic security for women and families and when all Washington’s citizens prosper, the state of Washington’ prospers;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jay Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, do hereby proclaim March 8, 2021 as
Women’s Day

in Washington, and I urge all people in our state to join me in this special observance and take a pledge to be a leader in the fight for gender equity.

Signed this day 8th of March 2021