Governor Proclaims Women's History Month 2021

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina is proud to be home to a diverse population of women dedicated to our nation’s well-being and whose courageous efforts advance the livelihood of all people; and

WHEREAS, women make up more than 51 percent of the population in North Carolina and serve as leaders in our communities, continuing the breakthrough of barriers they face; and

WHEREAS, women comprise approximately 57 percent of North Carolina’s labor force, and an increasing number of employed women in North Carolina are in managerial and professional occupations; and

WHEREAS, in 2018, women represented less than 18 percent of public boards headquartered in North Carolina; North Carolina continues to strive to diversify its leadership at the corporate and state level to accurately reflect the vision, values and ideas of our state’s population; and

WHEREAS, the 2021 national theme for Women’s History Month is Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced, honoring women who have fought to win suffrage rights for women and who continue to fight for voting rights of others; and

WHEREAS, despite decades of marches, petitions, and passage of the 19^th Amendment, suffrage did not grant voting rights for all women, particularly those of color, and the ongoing fight for equality continues today; and

WHEREAS, we honor and pay tribute to the many women in leadership who have shaped North Carolina; Lillian Exum Clement, who became our state’s first female legislator in 1920; Kate Burr Johnson, who became the first woman in the country to serve as a state commissioner of public welfare and the first woman in North Carolina to head a major state department in 1921; Eva Clayton, who became the first African American woman to represent North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives in 1992; Kay Hagan, who defeated Elizabeth Dole in the 2008 election to become the first woman to oust a female incumbent in the United States Senate; and Beverly Perdue, North Carolina’s 73^rd governor and the first female governor of our state; and

WHEREAS, 2021 marks the 58^th anniversary of the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement, an initiative charged with advancing and protecting the rights of women, providing a voice of influence on issues affecting women, and celebrating women’s achievements and leadership throughout the state; today, the Council continues to provide guidance on many issues facing women, including health and wellness, youth development, violence against women, education and employment; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina joins in honoring the legacy of women of every race, class, and ethnic background who changed the world by contributing to the economic, cultural, and social development of North Carolina in countless recorded and unrecorded ways;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim March, 2021, as “WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.