STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
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JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING WOMEN'S HISTORY
MONTH AND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
WHEREAS, the 100th Congress of the United States passed a Joint Resolution on March
12, 1987 to designate the month of March as Women's History Month; and
WHEREAS, Maine women of every race, class and ethnic background have made historic
contributions to the growth and strength of our State in countless recorded and unrecorded
ways; and
WHEREAS, Maine women of every race, class and ethnic background have served and
continue to serve as leaders in the establishment of charitable, philanthropic, commercial and
cultural institutions in our State and Nation; and
WHEREAS, Maine women have played and continue to play critical economic, cultural
and social roles in every sphere of the life of our State, whether in the workforce and as the
majority of the State's volunteer workforce; and
WHEREAS, Maine women have protected and defended our collective rights,
responsibilities and freedoms in myriad spheres, including serving our country courageously
in the military; and
WHEREAS, Maine women have been leaders, not only in securing their own rights of
suffrage and increased opportunity, but also in expanding the rights of all who experience
oppression as leaders in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial
labor movement, the civil rights movement and the peace and justice movement, among others,
all of which work to create a more fair and just society for all; and
WHEREAS, despite these contributions, the role of Maine women in history has been
consistently overlooked and undervalued in the body of American history; and
WHEREAS, Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment to the states for ratification more
than 50 years ago, and it is long past time that the principle of women's equality be enshrined
in the federal and state constitutions; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Thirty-second Legislature
now assembled in the Second Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this
opportunity to designate March 2026 as Women's History Month, a time to celebrate and honor
the contributions of all Maine women and girls, and to recognize March 8, 2026 as International
Women's Day.
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