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History of Women's Equality Day
In 1971, Representative Bella Abzug championed a bill in the U.S. Congress to designate August 26th 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. The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.
Although Women’s Equality Day celebrates equal rights and gender equality, it’s important to understand that the certification of the 19th amendment benefited mostly white womxn at the time. Black womxn, despite having a huge involvement in the suffragette movement, were prevented from voting and would not fully gain the legal right to vote until 1965. Voting rights continue to be a barrier for other womxn of color today and to quote Jocelyn Frye, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress:
“Thus, it is critical to have an accurate understanding of the history being commemorated by Women's Equality Day – so that while we celebrate the progress achieved, we also recognize the inadequacy of this progress, especially for women of color.”
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