THE SENATE                           S.R. NO.              17
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  RESOLUTION

SUPPORTING THE HAWAII STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN.



 1       WHEREAS, the status of women is key to the condition,
 2   stability, and well-being of society; and
 3   
 4       WHEREAS, the contributions by women to the overall health
 5   of the national and state economy are significant.  Consider
 6   these facts:
 7   
 8       (1)  Women-owned businesses employ one in four Americans
 9            and contribute annually $2.3 trillion to the United
10            States economy; and
11   
12       (2)  Women make 80 percent of consumer decisions; and
13   
14       WHEREAS, women's dual commitment to family and work is a
15   fundamental function in the community, and therefore women's
16   concerns and perspectives in policy-making is key; and
17   
18       WHEREAS, on the celebrated occasion of the 80th anniversary
19   of women's suffrage in the United States, the majority of
20   voters nationwide is women; and
21   
22       WHEREAS, despite the impressive roles and functions of
23   women to the community, the situation of women is still cause
24   for concern.  Consider these facts:
25   
26       (1)  Two-thirds of the 60 million women who work outside of
27            the home do not have a pension plan and those that do
28            receive half as much as men;
29   
30       (2)  Roughly 40 percent of women over 65 years of age are
31            poor or almost poor as compared to less than 13
32            percent for men;
33   
34       (3)  Women of childbearing age (15-44) pay 68 percent more
35            in out-of-pocket health care costs than their male
36            counterparts;
37       (4)  Domestic violence is now recognized as a leading cause
38            of death for women ages 14-44 worldwide; and
39   
40       (5)  Nationally, 63 percent of women with children under
41            the age of six work and 78 percent of women with
42            children 6-17 are in the labor force (the percentages

 
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                                  S.R. NO.              17
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1            for Hawaii are much higher);
 2   
 3   and
 4   
 5       WHEREAS, advancing women's causes must continue for the
 6   betterment of society; and
 7   
 8       WHEREAS, the Hawaii's State Commission on the Status of
 9   Women (Commission) was established by the Governor by executive
10   order on May 15, 1964, to, among other things, coordinate
11   research planning, programming, and action on the
12   opportunities, needs, problems, and contributions of women in
13   Hawaii in education, homemaking, civil and legal rights, labor
14   and employment, and expanded community horizons; and
15   
16       WHEREAS, since its inception, the Commission has
17   consistently promoted the equality of women and gender equity
18   issues; and
19   
20       WHEREAS, the Commission's statutorily mandated functions
21   and responsibilities in the following areas include:
22   
23       (1)  Acting as a central clearinghouse and coordinating
24            body for governmental and nongovernmental activities
25            and information relating to the status of women;
26   
27       (2)  Accumulating, compiling, and publishing information
28            concerning instances of actual discrimination, and
29            discrimination in the law, against women;
30   
31       (3)  Cooperating with the Department of Labor and
32            Industrial Relations, other state departments and
33            agencies, and appropriate federal offices and agencies
34            in correcting unlawful employment practices in public
35            and private employment involving discrimination
36            because of sex;
37   
38       (4)  Creating public awareness and understanding of the
39            responsibilities, needs, potential, and contributions
40            of women as homemakers, workers, and active
41            participants in the community and the importance of
42            each of these roles in society;
43       (5)  Recommending legislative and administrative action on
44            equal treatment and opportunities for women;
45   
46       (6)  Seeking improvements in educational and counseling

 
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 1            programs and policies to meet the needs of girls and
 2            women to better prepare them for their roles in the
 3            home and community;
 4   
 5       (7)  Encouraging a long-range program of education for
 6            women of their political rights and responsibilities,
 7            particularly with respect to their voting duties;
 8   
 9       (8)  Maintaining contacts with appropriate federal, state,
10            local, and international agencies concerned with the
11            status of women; and
12   
13       (9)  Cooperating with national groups on the status of
14            women and arranging for participation by
15            representatives of the State in White House
16            conferences and other national conferences;
17   
18   and
19   
20       WHEREAS, these key services are critical to the well-being
21   of the community at-large and essential in furthering social,
22   economic, and political equality for women; and
23   
24       WHEREAS, moreover, the Commission is integral to providing
25   core services and in educating, coordinating, and disseminating
26   information regarding women, family, and community issues
27   statewide; now, therefore,
28   
29       BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
30   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, that this body
31   supports the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women;
32   and
33   
34       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
35   Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Executive
36   Director of the Commission on the Status of Women.
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40                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________