Celebrate Women's Equality Day!
Women’s Equality Day on August 26 commemorates the anniversary of two important milestones in American history, while providing an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and contributions.
The first milestone is the ratification of the 19th amendment to the US Constitution, which affirmed women’s right to vote in the US. While the amendment, introduced to Congress in 1878, was an enormous step forward in realizing our country’s ideals of equality and justice for all, women of color who were instrumental in the movement still struggled to exercise their rights for decades after its 1920 passing.
The second milestone is the anniversary of the 1970 nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality. At the time, this was the largest demonstration for women’s equality in US history, and included marches, rallies, a lawsuit by female teachers against the New York Department of Education, and various other demonstrations to promote awareness and bring attention to issues affecting women’s rights.
References
- National Archives. Exhibits. Featured Documents. The 19th Amendment. https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/amendment-19
- National Women’s History Museum. Women’s Equality Day. https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/womens-equality-day
- State of California. Dr. Shirley N. Weber California Secretary of State. California Online Voter Registration. https://registertovote.ca.gov
- UCSF Advocacy Guidelines. https://www.ucsf.edu/cgr/advocacy/guidelines
- Calisphere. Women’s Equality Day. https://calisphere.org/search/?q=women%27s+equality+day