Women’s Equality Day is celebrated on 26 August every year. Women’s Equality Day is celebrated in the United States to mark the 19th Amendment ratified in 1920, ensuring voting rights for everyone regardless of gender. The amendment granted women the right to vote for the first time and as a result of the women’s suffrage movement in the country.
History of Women’s Equality Day
Bella Abzug (D-NY), in 1971 and passed in 1973, the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as Women’s Equality Day. The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote.
On the 96th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, when women won the right to vote, Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi, Anna Eshoo, Barbara Lee, and Jackie Speier joined Bay Area community leaders at UCSF to reflect on the strides our nation has made towards women’s equality and rededicate ourselves to the important work left to be done. The right to vote guards all other rights – the right to choose, the right to life-saving research, and the right to contraception and health care.
Women’s Equality Day Celebration Ideas
1. Register to vote and register others to vote!
2. Learn about women leaders of the past and present.
3. Visit one of the museum exhibitions that is totally dedicated to this subject.
4. Use #WomensEqualityDay to post on social media.
Women’s Equality Day Color
The color ‘purple’ is internationally recognized to symbolize women. Purple stands for ‘justice’ and ‘dignity’. According to the International Women’s Day website, the combination of purple, green, and white symbolizes women’s equality. Wearing a Purple Ribbons/Wristbands on this day to educate, uplift, and inspire others!
Women’s Equality Day Quotes
“The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.” — Gloria Steinem
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” — Margaret Thatcher
“We’re all under the same sky and walk the same earth; we’re alive together during the same moment.” — Maxine Hong Kingston
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
“I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.” — Mary Shelley
“I knew then and I know now when it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it.” — Claudette Colvin
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” — Audre Lorde
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” — Sheryl Sandberg
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” — Malala Yousafzai
