This Monday, August 26th, we celebrated the 99th anniversary of the enforcement of the Nineteenth Amendment, giving women the right to vote. This day, more popularly known as Women’s Equality Day, has been celebrated across the country, giving homage to the early women’s suffrage activists who dedicated their lives to give women the opportunity to be a part of history. However, the true story about how women in American gained their equality isn’t so simple and can’t be summed up by one day or amendment.
The Nineteenth Amendment was founded to give women the right to vote, but in reality it was aimed solely for the inclusion of white women. Women of color, including black, Native American, and Asian women didn’t get the same opportunity to vote until years later. For black women, Jim Crow era laws and beliefs lowered their confidence in even pursuing the chance to vote. For Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women, it was hard to get a chance to vote since they were not considered citizens of America. Yes, you read that right, Native American women were not considered citizens of America. Many women of color were even forced to go through levels of testing to prove their competence to cast votes, such as paying taxes and interpreting the Constitution. https://medium.com/@ProfessMoravec/women-s-equality-day-927c1f99a21e
Although Women’s Equality Day is a day celebrating the suffrage movement in America, without acknowledging other countries who need to take the step to give women the rights they deserve, there will be no moving forward in the goal that all women, everywhere, have equality. To get to that first step of achieving this goal, we must look beyond the right to vote. Regarding the Gender Gap across work, health, education, and politics, there are countries that continue to make little to no progress for equality. Countries like Yemen and Egypt have weak laws protecting young women and girls from harmful cultural customs and child marriages. In Saudi Arabia, women are seldom allowed to even travel or pursue education without the consent of a male guardian.
It might feel insane to believe that you can make a difference or even help change a system built on the submission and inferiority of women, but you can make a difference. Keeping up with current events, donating to nonprofits aimed at bettering the lives of women in need, and executing your right to vote are ways that you can not only take advantage of the sacrifices women before you made, but it is your way of honoring them as well. https://sanjosespotlight.com/downtown-san-jose-rally-celebrates-womens-history-push-for-equality/
It is easy to lose sight of what equality really means for different women. For some, it is about remembering the brave women who paved the way for us. For others, it is a chance to have a say in what we can and cannot do with our bodies, but the end goal is making sure that every woman has a choice to determine what it means to her. Whatever Women’s Equality means to you, I hope you pay that meaning forward to another fellow Phenomenal Woman.
“These Are the Worst Countries to Be a Woman.” Global Citizen, https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/worst-places-woman-yemen-congo-saudi-arabia/.
WLMagazine. “4 Ways to Celebrate Women’s Equality Day.” Women’s Lifestyle Magazine, 26 Aug. 2019, http://womenslifestyle.com/4-ways-celebrate-womens-equality-day/