U.S. Senator Dick Lugar today introduced a resolution to recognize "International Women's Day" and to specifically applaud the Kingdom of Lesotho for demonstrating its commitment to improving gender equality.
"International Women's Day is a day on which we reaffirm our commitment to the struggle by women worldwide for peace, justice and equality before the law. We also take this opportunity to recognize how far we have come since the first International Women's Day was celebrated in the United States in 1909 when American women were still fighting for the right to vote and a role in the political process," said Lugar, Republican leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"This resolution recognizes the Kingdom of Lesotho in honor of International Women's Day for its enactment of a law to improve the status of married women. Under this new legislation, women are considered equal partners in marriage and are able to enter into binding contracts and have a standing in civil court. We applaud the Kingdom of Lesotho for demonstrating such a commitment to justice, equality and fighting corruption at every level."
Prior to enacting the Legal Capacity of Married Persons law, married women in Lesotho were considered legal minors and unable to enter into binding contracts or have any standing in civil court.
The Kingdom of Lesotho is a small country surrounded by South Africa, which has qualified for financial assistance through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Fifty percent of the population lives below the poverty line and 23 percent of the population is infected with HIV. MCC assistance is pending the finalization of Lesotho's Compact which is expected to focus on improving health care and water resource management.
The MCC‘s emphasis on gender equality is consistent with continued U.S. efforts to improve the status of women worldwide. Integration of gender analysis into all phases of Compact development and implementation helps ensure that programs benefit both men and women as well as the future citizens of Lesotho.
