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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1 
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                     
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
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                     HOUSE  CONCURRENT
                        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;

 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   
 2       (4)  Domestic violence is now recognized as a leading cause
 3            of death for women ages 14-44 worldwide; and
 4   
 5       (5)  Nationally, 63 percent of women with children under
 6            the age of six work and 78 percent of women with
 7            children 6-17 are in the labor force (the percentages
 8            for Hawaii are much higher);
 9   
10   and
11   
12       WHEREAS, advancing women's causes must continue for the
13   betterment of society; and
14   
15       WHEREAS, the Hawaii's State Commission on the Status of
16   Women (Commission) was established by the Governor by executive
17   order on May 15, 1964, to, among other things, coordinate
18   research planning, programming, and action on the
19   opportunities, needs, problems, and contributions of women in
20   Hawaii in education, homemaking, civil and legal rights, labor
21   and employment, and expanded community horizons; and
22   
23       WHEREAS, since its inception, the Commission has
24   consistently promoted the equality of women and gender equity
25   issues; and
26   
27       WHEREAS, the Commission's statutorily mandated functions
28   and responsibilities in the following areas include:
29   
30       (1)  Acting as a central clearinghouse and coordinating
31            body for governmental and nongovernmental activities
32            and information relating to the status of women;
33   
34       (2)  Accumulating, compiling, and publishing information
35            concerning instances of actual discrimination, and
36            discrimination in the law, against women;
37   
38       (3)  Cooperating with the Department of Labor and
39            Industrial Relations, other state departments and
40            agencies, and appropriate federal offices and agencies
41            in correcting unlawful employment practices in public
42            and private employment involving discrimination
43            because of sex;
44   
45       (4)  Creating public awareness and understanding of the
46            responsibilities, needs, potential, and contributions
47            of women as homemakers, workers, and active

 
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                                  H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1            participants in the community and the importance of
 2            each of these roles in society;
 3       (5)  Recommending legislative and administrative action on
 4            equal treatment and opportunities for women;
 5   
 6       (6)  Seeking improvements in educational and counseling
 7            programs and policies to meet the needs of girls and
 8            women to better prepare them for their roles in the
 9            home and community;
10   
11       (7)  Encouraging a long-range program of education for
12            women of their political rights and responsibilities,
13            particularly with respect to their voting duties;
14   
15       (8)  Maintaining contacts with appropriate federal, state,
16            local, and international agencies concerned with the
17            status of women; and
18   
19       (9)  Cooperating with national groups on the status of
20            women and arranging for participation by
21            representatives of the State in White House
22            conferences and other national conferences;
23   
24   and
25   
26       WHEREAS, these key services are critical to the well-being
27   of the community at-large and essential in furthering social,
28   economic, and political equality for women; and
29   
30       WHEREAS, moreover, the Commission is integral to providing
31   core services and in educating, coordinating, and disseminating
32   information regarding women, family, and community issues
33   statewide; now, therefore,
34   
35       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
36   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
37   of 2000, the Senate concurring, that this body supports the
38   Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; and
39   
40       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor allocate adequate
41   funding to the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women
42   so that it may be able to carry out its duties as mandated by
43   law; and
44   
45       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
46   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the
47   Executive Director of the Commission on the Status of Women.