Whereas, International Women's Day is an occasion marked by women around the world and is commemorated at the United Nations and is designated as a national holiday in some countries; and,

Whereas, The first National Women's Day was observed across the United States on February 28, 1909; and,

Whereas, As part of the peace movement looming on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913, and elsewhere in Europe, on or around March 8, 1914, women began holding rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters; and,

Whereas, International Women's Day encourages women to be proactive in gaining knowledge about their workplace rights, protecting fair standards and practices and improving the status of women in the workplace; and,

Whereas, The United States has remained committed to advancing women's causes around the world, helping women become full participants in their societies through initiatives and programs that increase their political participation and economic opportunities and support women and girls' access to education and health care; and,

Whereas, Despite the numerous contributions women across the world have made and the role they have played in world history, too often they have been overlooked in literature and the teaching and study of world history; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim March 8, 2007, as International Women's Day in Michigan.