JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Women's Equality Day occurs annually on August 26th. It celebrates the passage of the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote ensuring women had the same privileges as men. An annual proclamation recognizes the struggles women experienced during their fight for equal rights to vote, for pay and education.
Established in 1971, New York congresswoman Bella Abzug instituted the women's suffrage amendment which encouraged and supported those who sought equality. Centuries earlier, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby officially signed a proclamation on August 26, 1920 initially giving women the right to vote. However, Colby experienced difficulties with the Tennessee legislature trying to overturn his decision.
Women's Equality Day is more than a day to celebrate a women's right to vote. It is to raise awareness of the importance of equality between men and women. The majority of women took active roles in World War I by working in factories while the men were fighting in the war. This movement demonstrated women's political equality and encouraged President Woodrow Wilson to support the women's suffrage.
Today, women are serving in the military alongside men with the same responsibilities as their equals. Woodrow Wilson once said, "We have made partners of the women in this war. ... Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?" (Glass, 2007).
In honor of Women's Equality Day, the Joint Base Charleston Multicultural Committee has scheduled a retreat to be held on August 26, 2016 at 4:30pm (EST) at the flag pole across the street from the Wing Headquarters.
Glass, A. (2007, September 30). Woodrow Wilson endorses women's suffrage on Sept. 30, 1918. Retrieved July 26, 2016, from http://www.politico.com/story/2007/09/woodrow-wilson-endorses-womens-suffrage-on-sept-30-1918-006071