A resolution designating March 8, 2004, as "International Women's Day".

Mr. President, I support this resolution commemorating an extraordinary holiday, International Women's Day; a day that is celebrated around the globe to mark women's achievements and to recognize pressing gender inequities still to be erased.

There is no doubt that women have made tremendous strides toward equality and justice in the last century. International Women's Day provides an important chance to acknowledge women who have pioneered change and paved the way for millions of women and girls to access equal education, employment and opportunity. On the other side of the coin, International Women's Day provides an opportunity for us to make a new ``to-do'' list and highlight what remains to be done, both at home and abroad.

Women's rights, or lack thereof, in the Middle East and South Asia assumed special prominence in the days and weeks after the tragic events of September 11. Americans became familiar with the Taliban's horrendous repression of Afghan women and girls. Two years after the United States removed the Taliban from power, Americans watched as the Afghan loya jirga, or grand council, met to adopt a new constitution-- an opportunity to debate and create enforceable women's rights. Yet it remains to be seen whether the country's constitution establishes tangible improvements to the plight of Afghan women. In a similar vein, the fall of Saddam Hussein has given Iraqi women an opportunity to engage in public life and seek equal rights. Indeed, the interim Iraqi constitution sets aside 25 percent female participation in the interim government. But the challenges to women's rights in that region of the world abound, ranging from engrained religious and cultural norms to poverty from years of strife. I am convinced, however, that lasting stability and representational government depends upon the emancipation and full participation of women in the Middle East and South Asia. International Women's Day is a chance for us to reiterate that message, in those regions and around the world, that empowering women is the key to lasting peace and prosperity. And to that end, the United States should provide critical resources to help support and empower women and girls around the globe--an articulated priority to this administration, but as of yet an unmet goal.

A fitting tribute to International Women's Day would be ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, also known as the International Women's Rights treaty. It sets out basic women's rights--such as the right to an equal education and the right to own and inherit property. These rights are well settled in the United States, but unfortunately, they are not the norm in too many places around the globe. The treaty is stalled because of the administration's interminable treaty ``review.'' After first telling the Committee on Foreign Relations that it supported the treaty, it has commenced a review of the treaty that has now lasted nearly 2 years. To

date, 174 countries have become party to the treaty. The United States stands with the likes of Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan as those few countries that have yet to become a party. This is not the company that our country--the place where the women's movement began--should keep. An administration that cares about the promotion of women's human rights should declare its unwavering support for the International Women's Rights treaty.

International Women's Day is also a perfect time for my Senate colleagues to recognize and address the plight of refugee women. I urge them to show their support for the Women and Children in Armed Conflict Protection Act of 2003, the ``Protection Act'', S. 1001. There are nearly 20 million people homeless today because of war and internal conflict--and the majority of them are women and children. A tragic irony is that women and kids who find their way into refugee camps sometimes face abuse and exploitation in the very place that is supposed to provide security and safety. The Protection Act of 2003 requires the United States government to develop a comprehensive strategy to protect women and children in all stages of conflicts, and sets out specific codes of conduct for agencies running refugee camps. In addition, the bill supports a variety of programs that are providing help to women in war-torn countries, programs that range from tracing lost relatives to providing legal aid for rape survivors. Most importantly, the bill backs up all of its directives with money--$45 million per year--money that can make a real difference to women in such extreme crisis.

According to Government reports, some 800,000 to 900,000 people are trafficked across international borders worldwide to be enslaved as sweatshop workers, prostitutes, agricultural workers, or domestic servants--up to 20,000 of them are trafficked into the United States. A recent New York Times Magazine article profiled the gory details of sex trafficking in America's towns and suburbs. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act is the first Federal legislation that attacked head-on the very serious crime and aftermath of human trafficking. The legislation is wide in scope, tackling among other items, Federal penalties for trafficking, international ramifications for trafficking and the immigration needs of trafficking victims. But there remains much to be done. I want to make sure that we have provided law enforcement all of the legal tools and financial resources they need to go after criminals who engage in trafficking. I want to find out if criminal penalties--both here and abroad--are sufficient to deter traffickers. I want to explore if there are innovative things which can be done with extradition and witness protection to encourage fearful victims and witnesses to come forward to help make these cases. Women and girls are overwhelmingly the victims of trafficking. Stepping up our attention to this crime means speaking up for international women's rights--a perfect endeavor on International Women's day.

I will close my remarks on International Women's Day with a topic that my fellow Senators know animates me--ending violence against women. One in three--that is how many women worldwide are raped, beaten or sexually abused in their lifetime. Violence against women is the quintessential global issue. It strikes in wealthy and poor countries, ravages war-torn countries and peaceful ones alike, and plagues disparate cultures. In a nationwide poll, women in the United States recently named domestic violence as their number one concern--number one. Guaranteeing women safety and immediate accountability for violence is the first step towards creating equal opportunities in the public realm--it is the sock that must go on before the shoes. Our attention and efforts to eradicate violence against women must not wane, and indeed, we need to redouble our efforts. Our International Women's Day and every other day, women all over the world deserve nothing less.

Mr. President, this year marks the 95th anniversary of National Women's Day and the 93rd anniversary of International Women's Day. Since the first decades of the 20th century, when women in the United States, Western Europe, and Russia fought for the right to vote, tremendous progress has been made in advancing women's rights. Unfortunately, many women here at home and abroad still suffer.

In the last year, through America's increased involvement in foreign countries, our attention has been drawn to both the gains and shortcomings in the advancement of women's rights. In Afghanistan, although more girls are attending school than ever before in the country's history, tremendous security concerns remain. In rural areas especially, many women and girls choose to remain indoors because they are frequently targeted by armed warlords. This makes it impossible for them to attend school, go to work, or actively participate in the country's reconstruction.

Afghan women are also concerned with the widespread prevalence of forced marriage, and rape. In some cases, girls as young as 8 years old are forced into marriage with much older men. Although I am glad to see that the new Afghan constitution guarantees equal rights for all, I recognize the difference between putting high ideals down on paper and putting them into practice. Women's programs in Afghanistan have not been funded at proposed levels and it is unacceptable.

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have been a strong supporter of Afghan aid, especially for women. I worked very hard to include an amendment to provide $60 million for Afghan women's programs in the fiscal year 2004 Iraq/Afghanistan supplemental appropriations bill, because it is of the utmost importance that women play an active role in the country's political and economic reconstruction.

In Iraq as well, we must demand that the promises made to women become a reality. The interim constitution sets a 25 percent quota for women in the transitional assembly, and the preamble of the document makes clear that Iraqis are equal without regard to sex, sect, religion or other considerations. However, this is far removed from what women's groups initially asked for. The 25-member Iraqi Governing Council has only three women members, only one women sits in the Iraqi Cabinet, and of the 18 provincial governors, none are women. This has resulted in a vast shortage of women from all the decision-making bodies in the new Iraq.

In addition to following through with our commitment to women in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must also do a better job of drawing attention to the other millions of women around the globe who suffer from legal and political discrimination, domestic violence, inadequate medical care, illiteracy, and other social injustices.

The worldwide theme for International Women's Day this year is ``Women and HIV/AIDS.'' This is because the disease is having an increasingly devastating impact on females. Throughout the world, girls and young women now make up nearly two thirds of those below the age of 24 living with HIV, and new infections are rising fastest among married women infected by their husbands.

In order to stem this trend, women must be involved in the solution. This will involve providing women with better education and better healthcare. The U.N. properly recognizes that no enduring solution to any of society's social, economic and political ills can be found without the full participation, and the full empowerment of women.

In Africa alone, poor healthcare and poor education among women is one of the greatest challenges to development. Because women are the primary caretakers of children and the elderly, families face an additional burden when mothers are in poor health and poorly educated. Unfortunately, it has taken a global pandemic to remind us how important it is to support education and healthcare improvements for women.

Domestic violence is another enormous problem facing women. Not only abroad, but here at home as well, countless women are the targets of brutality simply because of their gender. The impact of domestic violence toward women is profound and it is often overlooked.

The World Health Organization asserts that domestic violence causes more deaths and disabilities among women between ages 15 and 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and

war. Every day, thousands of women are made to be victims of rape, genital mutilation, sexual assault, honor killings, sexual trafficking, female infanticide, forced sterilization, and forced abortion. These things are very unpleasant to talk about, and for most of us, their occurrence is hard to comprehend. Many ask, how is it possible that in this age of technology and global communication, so many still suffer from the barbaric practices of the past?

As a global leader, the United States has a responsibility to bring attention to these types of questions, because progress can only be made by recognizing and addressing the unfortunate realities that still exist. In the upcoming year, as the international community seeks to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as bring stability to other tenuous parts of the world, let us renew our focus on the importance of advancing the causes of women.

Today, as we recognize International Women's day, I am reminded of the inscription on the Women's Suffrage Monument in the Capital Rotunda. The inscription reads:

Principle not policy, Justice not Favor, Men, their rights

and nothing more. Women, their rights and nothing less.

Mr. President, I am pleased to submit the People-to- People Engagement in World Affairs resolution with my esteemed colleague, Senator Chuck Hagel.

In the 1960s, during a troubled and divisive time for our country, President John F. Kennedy challenged Americans to ``ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.'' Today, the need is even more urgent for Americans to be active participants both in the United States and abroad.

This People-to-People Engagement in World Affairs resolution is a call to Americans to look beyond our borders to engage with the wider world at an individual, human level. It encourages Americans to seize opportunities to engage in the global arena--through participating in a professional or cultural exchange; studying or volunteering abroad; working with an immigrant or refugee group in the United States; hosting a foreign student or professional; participating in a sister- city program; and/or learning a foreign language.

It also asks the Secretary of State to coordinate with implementing partners in creating an online database that lists these opportunities for Americans.

In today's world, our challenges and opportunities are global in nature. Terrorism, the greatest threat to our national security, crosses all national boundaries and feeds off the gaps in intelligence and communication created by borders. Other important issues, such as the proliferation of WMD, human trafficking, poverty, environmental degradation, and diseases from HIV/AIDS to polio also have little regard for borders. These challenges require international cooperation, and Americans at all levels of society are instrumental in finding and achieving meaningful solutions.

This resolution encourages Americans to forge relationships with people outside of the United States to change not only how Americans view and act in the world, but how others view Americans. Presently, anti-Americanism is growing at a startling rate. According to the Pew Research Center, negative views of the United States among Muslims, which were once limited to the Middle East, have spread to populations in places like Nigeria and Indonesia. A growing percentage of Muslims see serious threats to Islam by the United States. Majorities in seven of eight Muslim populations surveyed express worries that the U.S. might become a military threat to their countries. And these disturbing trends hold strong even beyond the Muslim world.

This is dangerous for a number of reasons. Anti-Americanism undermines our ability to work effectively with other countries on our global problems. In addition, in our fight against terror, anti- Americanism can create a steady supply of recruits for terrorist networks, intent on our destruction. These terrorist networks have unfairly blamed the United States for the unemployment, the poverty and the powerlessness that so many around the world experience on a daily basis. They feed off erroneous perceptions of Americans, distorting our image to achieve their own objectives.

Americans must combat these misperceptions and turn mistrust into understanding. If we don't define ourselves to the people of the world, we run the risk that terrorist will continue to make America a scapegoat for other nation's ills. In order to show the world who Americans really are, diplomacy must occur at all levels of society and not only through U.S. government representatives. Artists, scholars, teachers, nurses, doctors, and business people all have a role in shaping this image and in presenting a different American face to the world.

Many Americans have been engaged for decades. In my own State of Wisconsin, my constituents have demonstrated altruism and curiosity daily. They have worked in the Peace Corps, trained dairy farmers in South America and Eastern Europe, participated in sister-city exchanges with the former Soviet Union, traveled to refugee camps in Thailand and hosted international students. Through these activities, my constituents have fought stereotypes and created openings for greater trust and cooperation. The need is greater now than ever before for more Americans to become involved.

I have been approached by Americans of all ages and all economic backgrounds to ask me how they can become more involved. This resolution is a response to those Americans and a challenge to many more to define our times and to shape our world. The creation of the online database as part of this resolution will assist Americans in finding the best way for them personally to participate. Americans will use their enthusiasm and curiosity to engage in the world where they can--through tutoring children, through assisting refugees who come to our country, through professional training, and through showing concern for the well-being of other outside of the United States.

This resolution is a challenge to Americans to make connections in their own way--to listen and show respect for others and their way of life. Americans can bridge the gap between

this powerful nation and people around the world who feel frustrated and powerless. We can change perceptions, change minds, and change the world we live in.

Mr. President, today I am submitting legislation together with Senator Mikulski that would recognize the achievements of The Garden Club of America on the occasion of its 91st annual meeting in Washington, DC, from April 24 through 27, 2004. This meeting in our Nation's Capital is especially significant because it occurs here only once every twenty-five years. This legislation recognizes and honors The Garden Club and the work of its 17,000 members to improve our country.

Since its founding in 1913, The Garden Club of America has grown to include 195 member clubs in 40 States and the District of Columbia. It is a recognized leader in the fields of horticulture, conservation, historic preservation, civic improvement, and has significant influence in the protection of America's environment.

Right here in the District of Columbia we can witness the results of The Garden Club's labor. Indeed it played an instrumental role in the founding of the National Arboretum and the development of the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution.

Perhaps even more importantly, The Garden Club has become a significant impetus for community service across the United States. The scope of The Garden Club of America goes well beyond its numerous publications, its public plant and flower shows, and its national medalists. It is a source for the exchange of ideas and a platform for the betterment of our communities across this great country. The purpose of The Garden Club of America is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, but also to share the advantages of association through educational meetings, conferences, correspondence, and publications, and to improve the quality of the environment through conservation and civic improvement.

As a Marylander I know first hand of the contributions The Garden Club of America has made to our State. Ladew Topiary Gardens is a prime example of the edification and enjoyment that stems from the support of The Garden Club of America. Since 1971, Ladew Gardens has used its 22 acres of gardens to educate children, entertain families, and promote the importance of beautiful landscapes within our communities. Every spring and summer, hundreds of families congregate in the gardens to enjoy the Sunday concerts, afternoon picnics, and self-guided educational nature walks. And every year, hundreds of families leave the gardens with an exhilarated appreciation for America's outdoors, and an enriched desire to conserve that beauty.

The Garden Club of America has asked for very little in return for its dedication to America's beautiful landscapes. I am submitting this legislation today in the hope that we in the Congress can recognize this significant contribution as The Garden Club of America holds its annual meeting here in our Nation's Capital. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 315, submitted earlier in the day by Senators Biden, Lugar, and others.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any statements be printed in the Record without intervening action or debate.