Bill Clinton

“ From author to astronaut to able parent, women have embraced a myriad of challenging roles throughout our Nation's history.
But America has not yet fulfilled its promise of equality for all people. While more women than ever now hold public office in our country, more women than ever must also bear sole responsibility for caring for their families. We rely on women's knowledge and expertise in every aspect of life, and yet we as a society fail to provide many of our families the care and support they so desperately need. ”

“ Zora Neale Hurston might never have imagined that women would one day have the opportunity to take her mother's teaching literally. But from Sally Ride to Mae Jemison to Kathryn Sullivan, astronauts have soared closer to the sun than most humans ever dreamed. As we celebrate Women's History Month, 1994, Americans take special pride in the scope of women's achievements, exemplified by the daring spirit of these pioneering individuals. We watched in awe recently as astronaut Sullivan performed complex repairs on the Hubble space telescope by the light of the rising sun. ”

“ On this occasion, we celebrate the lives of women too long missing from our history books. We listen to the voices of women too long absent from our national memory. Most important, we look forward to a day when society need not remind itself to note the extraordinary accomplishments of women. We dream of a time when, in passing the lessons of this generation from teacher to student, from parent to child, we tell a story of women and men working side by side. ”