Bella Abzug introduced a bill in 1971 to designate August 26 as World Equality Day.
Women's Equality Day is marked on August 26 to recognise the contribution of women across various fields. Women have been long subjected to gender-based discrimination and have struggled to gain recognition for their work in society.
When it was first celebrated
American women were granted the right to vote through the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. The amendment was passed by the United States Congress on June 4, 1919, and was ratified on August 26, 1920. Following this, Congress formally designated August 26 as Women's Equality Day in 1971. Since then, the day is being celebrated to recognise women's struggles to achieve an equal status in society.
Background
The first protest by women for equal rights in terms of both opportunities and social status was organised at the world's first Women's Rights Convention held in 1848 in New York, US. Women held many peaceful protests and demonstrations since then to highlight their demands for equal status. World Equality Day is marked as the culmination of all those struggles.
The United States Congress Representative Bella Abzug introduced a bill in 1971 to designate August 26 as World Equality Day. This had come after a nationwide “strike for equality' protests by women to mark the 50th anniversary of the ratification of the historic Nineteenth Amendment. Then in 1973, the United States Congress and the 37th president of the US, Richard Nixon, formally recognised August 26 as Women's Equality Day. Every US president now issues a proclamation designating August 26 as Women's Equality Day.