Women’s Equality Day recognizes 100th anniversary of 19th Amendment

100 years ago, on August 18, the Nineteenth Amendment was adopted, which ultimately granted women the right to vote. In 1970, the National Organization for Women (NOW) called for women to demonstrate for equal rights, in areas like employment, educational opportunities, and accessible child care. All around the country, more than 100,000 people participated in demonstrations and rallies in more than 90 major cities and towns. The march was so momentous that it was marked as the largest gender-equality protest in the history of the United States.

Representative Bella Abzug called on Congress to commemorate the date. Congress, then, officially recognized August 26 as Women’s Equality Day, not only for the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment but also the continued efforts of women to achieve full equality.

In addition, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment by Congress in 1971 and 1972, which gained momentum from the strike.

Women’s Equality Day falls on August 26, instead of August 18 when the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, because it had not been certified by the U.S. Secretary of State of the time, Bainbridge Colby, who tried his best to delay it. This marked the end of a long struggle for the right to vote for women, since 1878 when the amendment was first introduced.

Many women throughout history have contributed to celebrating the hard work that women in the past century have done. Some of the more familiar ones are Some leaders of the women’s suffrage movement were Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Staton, Lucy Stone, and Alice Paul.  Modern women are working to expand the power of the gender by registering to vote and educating themselves. Ways to become more educated include learning about women leaders of the past and present, visiting a women’s museum, and volunteering for a cause that empowers other women. As the first presidential proclamation marking Women’s Equality Day, then-President Nixon wanted people “to use this occasion to reflect on the importance of achieving equal rights and opportunities for women and to dedicate themselves anew to that great goal.” That goal continues for Women’s Equality Day 2020, and now National Women’s Suffrage Month, a recently announced observation (https://rb.gy/rymfvv).