International Women's Day, March 8th

Women's Day, March 8th, is a national holiday in Moldova.

Below, find Secretary Clinton's statement regarding the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day.

During his press conference with Moldova's Prime Minister, Vice President Biden said that securing equal rights for women was the moral imperative of our time.

The 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day on March 8 2011

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/03/157647.htm

Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC

March 7, 2011

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Video message is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XIineVXCAc and http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/03/157647.htm

And in translation at the following links: Arabic, Chinese, Dari, French, Hungarian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Urdu

March 8th is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. And, as many of you know, this anniversary is important to me. At the 1995 Beijing conference, I was so humbled by the positive response to my message that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights. But 16 years later, women still bear the brunt of poverty, war, disease, and famine. And when it comes to the boardroom meetings, government sessions, peace negotiations, and other assemblies where crucial decisions are made in the world, women are too often absent.

It is clear that more work needs to be done—to consolidate our gains and to keep momentum moving forward.

The United States continues to make women a cornerstone of our foreign policy. It’s not just the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing. Women and girls drive our economies. They build peace and prosperity. Investing in them means investing in global economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity for everyone—the world over.

So let us mark this day by finding ways to ensure women and girls’ access to education, healthcare, jobs, and credit, and to protect their right to live free from violence.