Senate Resolution 121 - Introduced PAG LIN S.R. ________ H.R. ________ 1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY BOETTGER 1 3 A Resolution recognizing the visit of five distinguished 1 4 women leaders from Nigeria. 1 5 WHEREAS, Iowa has long been a leader in promoting 1 6 the goals of international education and 1 7 cross=cultural learning, and is home to several 1 8 organizations that actively pursue such opportunities 1 9 to share knowledge and understanding; and 1 10 WHEREAS, Iowa also has a rich history of pioneering 1 11 women leaders and was active in the national women's 1 12 suffrage movement and other movements to bring about 1 13 social change; and 1 14 WHEREAS, five women leaders from Nigeria have 1 15 traveled to Iowa as part of a two=year project of the 1 16 United States Department of State called Women in 1 17 Northern Nigeria that organizes cultural exchanges in 1 18 an attempt to answer the question posed by First Lady 1 19 Laura Bush in 2006, "How do we nurture the development 1 20 of the next generation of women leaders in Africa and 1 21 worldwide?"; and 1 22 WHEREAS, in 2007, four women political leaders from 1 23 Iowa traveled to Nigeria, a democracy since 1999, to 1 24 learn about the issues facing Nigerian women as they 1 25 struggle for equality in education, the economy, 1 26 politics, health care delivery, and the social life of 1 27 that country; and 1 28 WHEREAS, Iowans have much to learn about the 1 29 complexity of the global society of which we are a 1 30 part and have much to teach about good governance and 2 1 the involvement of women in education and civic life; 2 2 NOW THEREFORE, 2 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate 2 4 welcomes the Nigerian women to Iowa and expects that 2 5 Iowa and Nigeria will both benefit from the Women in 2 6 Northern Nigeria cultural exchange in terms of shared 2 7 experiences and ideas between the two nations and that 2 8 their visit can serve as a catalyst for the 2 9 advancement of women who aspire to leadership 2 10 positions in government, business, and other sectors 2 11 of life in Nigeria. 2 12 LSB 6613SS 82 2 13 tw/rj/5