,,iii #aahth ,,congress #bnd ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #fba ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #bb1 #bjbd,ms4 ,rosen 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,ms4 ,butler1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,mr4 ,heinrich1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,fetterman1 and ,mr4 ,lujn7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,designating ,march #bdth1 #bjbd1 as ,national ,women of ,color in ,tech ,day4 ,whereas ,national ,women of ,color in ,tech ,day acknowledges the challenges many women of color face in the field of technology 7referred to in this preamble as tech7 and recognizes and emphasizes the importance of women of color in tech in the ,united ,states1 including-- 7#a7 ,katherine ,johnson1 a former engineer at the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration2 7#b7 ,marie ,van ,brittan ,brown1 who invented the first home security system2 and 7#c7 ,patricia ,bath1 who invented the ,laserphaco ,probe for the removal of cataracts2 ,whereas evidence suggests that structural and social barriers in tech education1 tech workforce development1 the tech workforce1 and venture capital investment in tech can disproportionately and negatively affect women of color2 ,whereas women are underrepresented in tech1 and women of color often face additional systemic barriers in the tech ecosystem specifically and in science1 technology1 engineering1 and mathematics 7referred to in this preamble as ,,stem7 fields generally2 ,whereas underrepresented minority students often face an opportunity gap in ,,stem education in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas women and girls of color often face an achievement gap in science and engineering education2 ,whereas women and girls overall often face a large opportunity gap in computer science2 ,whereas the competitiveness of the ,united ,states in the #bast-century global economy largely depends on developing ,,stem-literate citizens2 ,whereas the demand for professionals in tech and computing fields is expected to increase substantially over the next decade2 ,whereas1 as of ,march #bjbc1 data showed that there were more than #gej1jjj open and unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas increasing the number of women of color in tech will be critical to building and maintaining a competitive tech workforce2 ,whereas women of color currently make up #da percent of the female population in the ,united ,states and are projected to make up the majority of women by #bjfj2 ,whereas1 according to the ,national ,center for ,education ,statistics1 women of color in the ,united ,states earned #ag percent of bachelor's degrees and #g percent of doctorates in ,,stem fields during the #bjba-bjbb school year2 ,whereas the low number of women of color in tech positions who have not received a bachelor's degree1 but who have earned other certificates1 demonstrates that women of color may not be taking sufficient advantage of alternative pathways for reskilling in computing-related areas or may not have adequate access or exposure to these pathways2 ,whereas increasing the inclusion of women of color in the science and tech sectors can provide role models who can inspire students of all backgrounds and identities1 including young girls of color2 ,whereas diversity in any field incorporates different experiences and ideas that can ultimately lead to more creative and pioneering solutions to the current and future problems of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas a ,may #bjbj study by ,mc,kinsey and ,company shows that companies with a diverse workforce often perform better1 hire more qualified employees1 have more engaged employees1 and are better at retaining workers than companies that do not prioritize diversity2 ,whereas communities of color are underrepresented in corporate leadership roles1 including in the tech sector2 and ,whereas a pipeline of qualified tech candidates of color is critical for future growth1 particularly as the tech industry works to improve the recruiting1 hiring1 and retaining of candidates and employees of color3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 designates ,march #bd1 #bjbd1 as ,national ,women of ,color in ,tech ,day2 7#b7 recognizes the celebration of ,national ,women of ,color in ,tech ,day as a time to reflect on the many notable contributions that women of color have made to the field of technology in the ,united ,states2 7#c7 urges the people of the ,united ,states to observe ,national ,women of ,color in ,tech ,day with appropriate programs and activities2 7#d7 pledges to work to increase diversity and inclusion in the technology sector1 including through robust plans to ensure recruitment1 training1 and retention of underrepresented minorities at all levels2 7#e7 commits to working to eliminate barriers to entering the technology sector faced by women of color and individuals from other underrepresented groups2 7#f7 reaffirms the commitment of the ,senate to ensuring that all students have access to science1 technology1 engineering1 and mathematics 7referred to in this resolution as ,,stem7 education for a #bast-century economy1 including computer science education in particular2 7#g7 supports efforts to strengthen investments in1 and collaborations with1 educational institutions1 including community colleges1 historically ,black colleges and universities1 ,hispanic-serving institutions1 ,asian-,american1 ,native ,american1 and ,pacific ,islander-serving institutions1 ,tribal ,colleges and ,universities1 ,alaska ,native and ,native ,hawaiian-serving institutions1 and other minority-serving institutions1 to sustain a pipeline of diverse ,,stem graduates ready to enter the technology sector2 and 7#h7 urges the ,president to work with ,congress to improve data collection1 data disaggregation1 and dissemination of information for greater understanding and transparency of diversity in ,,stem education and across the workforce of the ,united ,states4