Specificall
y some are commemorating an amendment ratified 90 years ago that advanced equality. The Constitution's 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, following a close vote in the Tennessee legislature. The amendment providing women the right to vote reads, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of Sex."
Alice Germond, in a piece for Politico, notes that the amendment's passage was a longtime coming, "after nearly 70 years and several generations of work...." Germond continues that in the decades since the amendment's passage, "women have made great strides," noting the high percentage of women voters and the rising number of women in Congress and state legislatures. But she also notes that great strides are needed to secure equality and that the Obama administration has been engaged in the process.
Germond writes:
Although women continue to earn less than men - just 78 cents on the dollar, on average - President Obama took immediate action to close the gap. The very first bill the president signed after taking office was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which protects women against pay discrimination and helps to ensure women receive equal pay for equal work.
In addition, President Obama has championed flexible work policies like paid sick leave, because he believes women should not have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for loved ones. Through a White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility and through the creation of a White House Council on Women and Girls, the president is working to better identify and address the challenges faced by women in the workplace.
While commemorating the 19th amendment, the occassion should also include discussion of the need to make progress toward full equality Germond concludes.
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