President's Message
August 26th is Women’s Equality Day: the centennial of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted American women the right to vote. Passed by Congress in the summer of 1919, and certified to the Constitution on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment reads as follows:
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Despite ratification, however, the voting rights of many women remained barred for decades after their white counterparts, and it was not until passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, that women of color were fully afforded the right to vote.
Today is an opportunity to reflect on the history of the fight for votes for women, and an acknowledgment of the work that we still have left to do.
The women’s suffragist movement was successful because passionate women and men came together to activate change. In that vein, the Central New York Women's Bar Association ("CNYWBA") implores its members to continue working together toward gender equality because, as lawyers, we have a unique and vital role to play in guaranteeing that women’s legal, social, and economic equality is fully realized.
In honor of Women’s Equality Day, consider thanking the women in your life, supporting women-owned businesses, registering to vote, and engaging in robust discussion about Women’s Equality Day.
Today, and always, the CNYWBA dedicates itself to equality and justice for all.
Samantha C. Riggi, Esq., President
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