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Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S.
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
WB Reception: Great American Women of
Today and Tomorrow
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, March 15,
2006
Good evening, and thank you for that kind introduction, Terry [Neese,
Co-Founder of Women Impacting Public Policy].
Let me start out by thanking Women Impacting Public Policy and the
Women's Bureau for their work in bringing this evening together.
I also want to thank the "National Museum of Women in the Arts" for
their gracious hospitality. I hope you will take this opportunity to learn more
about the museum and its exhibits.
When this building was designed in 1908, it was a Masonic Temple —
not a very likely gathering spot for women! At that time, the constitutional
amendment to guarantee a women's right to vote had sat idle in Congress for 30
years. It would be another 12 years before the 19th Amendment would be ratified
in 1920. It was 42 years from the time it was first introduced to the time it
was ratified! We can thank the perseverance and dedication of the women of the
suffrage movement for making it happen.
Today our country celebrates the achievements of many women leaders who
extended the bounds of liberty such as Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Rosa
Parks, and Coretta Scott King.
Thanks to their leadership, and the leadership of so many others, women
in America today can access nearly unlimited opportunities. Through education
and opportunity, a woman's place is anywhere she chooses it to be. In the
family room, the boardroom, the classroom, the office, the halls of power, and
the commerce of cyberspace, women have greater potential to realize their
dreams than ever before.
In 1948, women made up about one-third of the U.S. workforce. Today,
women equal close to half the workforce. As entrepreneurs, women are creating
jobs and strengthening our economy with more than 10 million small businesses.
The number of women-owned businesses is growing at twice the rate of all U.S.
firms. As soldiers and service members, more than 200,000 women are working to
protect America at home and abroad. As students, women under the age of 40 are
positioning themselves for even greater success by earning more than half of
all advanced degrees. As mothers and grandmothers, women are nurturing the
dreams of future generations that will continue to spread liberty and equality
around the world.
Change doesn't happen overnight, but with persistence and courage, it
does happen. Today, no matter what goal a woman sets for herself, she can
accomplish her dreams. The important thing is to focus on the goal, and take
steps — no matter how small — each and every day to reach that goal.
That is the best strategy for creating lasting change and for making a real
difference for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
So thank you for all that you are doing to create new opportunities for
our women — and for everyone in our country.
Good luck to you and God bless you all.
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