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Women’s History Month: A Commemorative Observances Legal Research Guide

Executive Branch Documents

Presidential proclamations and executive orders have been used by presidents to rule on substantive issues of law; to administrate the executive branch of government; and to make general announcements to the public. These general announcements, which exhort the public to observe a holiday such as Thanksgiving or honor a particular group of citizens as in National Black History Month, are usually issued in the form of a presidential proclamation. On many occasions, Congress will pass a law specifically requesting the president to take certain action proclaiming the recognition of a particular group of citizens, such as Jewish or Hispanic Americans.

Presidential proclamations, as well as presidential statements, messages, and remarks for Women's History Month and Women's History Week can be searched from the Government Publishing Office’s advanced search page in the collections for the Code of Federal Regulations, the Compilation of Presidential Documents, and the Federal Register. For older copies of the Code of Federal Regulations (1938-1995), please visit the Code of Federal Regulations digital collection page on the Law Library of Congress website.

Presidential proclamations on the annual observances of Women's History Month and Women's History Week can also be browsed through the American Presidency Project External by selecting the year to be browsed and clicking on the Apply button. Presidential messages, statements, and remarks before 1993 can be searched from the home page of the American Presidency Project External.

Listed below are links to examples of presidential proclamations for Women's History Week or Month, along with the citations to the Code of Federal Regulations or the Federal Register, the official publications for presidential proclamations.