Whereas American women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our Nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways;

Whereas American women have played and continue to play a critical economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of the life of the Nation by constituting a significant portion of the labor force working inside and outside of the home;

Whereas American women have played a unique role throughout the history of the Nation by providing the majority of the volunteer labor force of the Nation;

Whereas American women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions in our Nation;

Whereas American women of every race, class, and ethnic background served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement;

Whereas American women have been leaders, not only in securing their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements, especially the peace movement, which create a more fair and just society for all; and

Whereas despite these contributions, the role of American women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued, in the literature, teaching and study of American history:

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Settle It Now Negotiation Blog and the Blogs of all other women who are making and recording the history of the United States of America every working day, that March is designated as "Women's History Month. Every woman blogger and every male blogger whose life has been enriched by the presence of women in it is requested to issue a proclamation each March, calling upon their fellow bloggers to observe March as Women’s History Month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

This resolution, calling upon "the people of the United States to observe March as Women’s History Month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities" was passed by Congress in 1987 and successive years since then.  For more information about the origin of National Women's History Month, or the activities of the National Women's History Project, contact:  National Women's History Project.

This blog is celebrating National Women's History Month by running a series of posts on implicit gender bias in ADR.  Those posts, in order of their appearance (including Diane Levin's post on the same topic during the same time period) are here: 

Negotiating Gender:  Why So Few Women Neutrals?  http://www.negotiationlawblog.com/2010/02/articles/conflict-resolution/negotiating-gender-why-so-few-women-neutrals/

Update on Gender Diversity in the Judiciary and ADR http://www.negotiationlawblog.com/2010/03/articles/conflict-resolution/update-on-gender-diversity-in-the-judiciary-and-in-adr/

Combating Implicit Gender Bias in ADR http://www.negotiationlawblog.com/2010/03/articles/conflict-resolution/combatting-implicit-gender-bias-in-adr/

Doing it backwards and in heels:  a prescription for remedying gender bias in ADR (Diane's post) http://mediationchannel.com/2010/03/05/doing-it-backwards-and-in-heels-a-prescription-for-remedying-implicit-bias-in-adr/

Negotiating Gender:  the Old White Men Speak http://www.negotiationlawblog.com/2010/03/articles/conflict-resolution/negotiating-gender-the-old-white-men-speak/

Negotiating Gender Bias in ADR:  the Commercial Client Speaks http://www.negotiationlawblog.com/2010/03/articles/conflict-resolution/negotiating-gender-bias-in-adr-the-commercial-client-speaks/