Senate Resolution No. 1557

BY: Senator PERSAUD

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 13, 2024, as Women's Checkup Day in the State of
New York

WHEREAS, Women's Checkup Day celebrates the extraordinary progress
in women's health and recognizes that more needs to be done to safeguard
the health of women for generations to come; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize
Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 13, 2024, as Women's Checkup Day
in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National
Women's Checkup Day; and

WHEREAS, Held annually on the second Monday in May, Women's Checkup
Day focuses on the importance of regular checkups and doctor's visits,
and encourages all women to take more steps to maintain better health;
and

WHEREAS, The history of women's health has been different from that
of men for multiple reasons including social, biological, and behavioral
factors; and

WHEREAS, Traditionally, women have been at a disadvantage in terms
of economic and social status, and this has affected their access to
healthcare; multiple experts expound on the need to change 'women's
health' to the term 'the health of women,' to broaden the focus around
the health issues women face, which historically only put an emphasis on
reproductive health; and

WHEREAS, The health of women has also been impacted by the fact that
women are underrepresented in most major research studies; however,
countries like the United States and other Western nations are
addressing this by setting up organizations and trials like the Women's
Health Initiative; and

WHEREAS, The turning point in this moment ran parallel to other
international women's movements across the world; with the labor
movements during the 20th Century in North America and across Europe,
more and more women began demanding equality and parity, culminating in
equal access to healthcare; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, the World Health Organization identified the top
ten women's health issues as being cancer, reproductive health, maternal
health, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), sexually transmitted
infections, violence, mental health, non-communicable diseases, youth,
and aging; and

WHEREAS, Women's Checkup Day's promotion of regular doctor visits
gives women a higher chance of identifying underlying health problems
and the ability to treat them on time; discussions between healthcare
providers and women can also rule out certain problems and highlight
others; and

WHEREAS, By encouraging a healthy lifestyle, Women's Checkup Day
allows women to take control of their bodies and inspire others to
embrace healthy habits; furthermore, it can also reduce healthcare costs
by taking preventative action in case of illness; and

WHEREAS, Women's health remains a priority for families, communities
and government, and our commitment to keeping women healthy is stronger
than ever; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 13, 2024, as Women's
Checkup Day in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.