Today commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in a federal election. We celebrate the accomplishments and progress of how far women’s rights have come, but much more work is yet to be done.
While all eligible voters have the right to vote today, we continue to see efforts to block access to underrepresented voters through voter ID laws and other targeted policies. During the 2010s, 25 states passed new laws that made it more difficult to vote, especially among disenfranchised people of color and underserved communities.
By the Numbers from National Today reports:
- 18 – the number of countries where husbands can legally prevent their wives from working.
- 39 – the number of countries where sons and daughters do not share equal inheritance rights.
- 1 in 5 – women and girls have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse by a partner.
- 7% – the percentage of women representation in national parliaments.
- 108 – the number of years it will take to bridge the gender gap.
- 6 – the number of countries that give women equal work rights as men.
- 24 – the number of men for every female character in films.
- 47% – the percentage of the increased likelihood for women to suffer severe injuries in car crashes because safety features are designed for men.
- 13% – the percentage of women globally who are agricultural landholders.
- 40% – the percentage drop in girls getting married in childhood in Southern Asia since 2000.
August 26 is a day to show gratitude towards the women in your life by acknowledging their struggles and successes and doing something meaningful as a reminder of their importance in your life. Support women-owned companies and business both locally and online. Read up on women’s history and seek to understand their story from their perspective especially women who hold multiple identities, women in various countries, and those with military status. Yes, August 26 is Women’s Equality Day, but so should every day.
Take Action:
- Center for Women’s and Gender Equity website
- US Census Bureau – Key Statistics
- National Women’s History Museum: Parading for Progress
- NPR – Voting Advocates Say Women’s Equality Day has a Complicated (and Yes, Racist) History
- Eventbrite: Women’s Equality Panel
- Attach the design elements to your email signature and/or use it in your social media
For additional education and personal development related to diversity, equity and inclusion, the following resources are available: DEI Education and Resources, DEI and Antiracism Resources from the UNC Libraries, the Education Equity Toolkit from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and the UNITE workshops for faculty, staff, and students.
