Women have struggled for equality and fought against oppression for ages. While many women are now aware of their rights and are getting to excel in different fields, the fight for equality is still on. It's very important to acknowledge that women have equal rights in every sphere of life and they have a larger participation in decision-making from home to governance.
Every year, Women's Equality Day is celebrated on August 26 in the United States to honour the achievement of women's constitutional right to vote. The day marks the struggles of women, who fought for the right to vote during the suffrage movement in the US for nearly 100 years. The occasion also aims at highlighting the challenges faced by women in today's time.
History
The United States Congress established August 26 as Women's Equality Day in 1971. The credit goes to feminist and women's rights activist Bella Abzug, who introduced a bill in this regard. The 37th President of the US Richard Nixon approved the date and officially recognised it as Women's Equality Day in 1973. The date was chosen to honour the 1920 approval of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibits the states and federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens on the basis of gender.
In 1920, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation to grant the right to vote to American women. Later, in 1970, a nationwide Women Strike for Equality, followed in 1971 and in 1973 a fight over the Equal Rights Amendment continued. Though Women's Equality Day was first celebrated in the year 1971, it was officially recognised in 1973.
Significance
Women's Equality Day not only focuses on the 19th Amendment but also talks about the different challenges faced by women in a male-dominated society. It has always been quite a task to make progress in every field and carve a niche as a woman, in this patriarchal world. Women have made tremendous progress in every possible arena. All they need is equal opportunities, and support from family and society. However, there still seem to be a lot of issues related to abortion rights, equal opportunities, gender-based violence, and gender-based discrimination that women still go through. The day is all about acknowledging the importance of women empowerment and educating the world about it.
Celebrations
Many organisations, workplaces, NGOs and civil society groups conduct events to spread awareness about women's rights. The events and seminars address the issues and problems still faced by women at large. Various educational institutes also tell students about the struggles faced by women and their arduous journey to gain the right to vote.
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