Article by Maureen McKinney
Women’s Equality Day is celebrated in the U.S. each year on Aug. 26. This day commemorates the 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
This amendment reads in part: “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.”
Originally known as the Woman Suffrage Amendment it was first introduced on Jan. 10, 1878. It was resubmitted numerous times until it was finally approved by both the House and Senate in June 1919.
The bill then needed to be approved by two-thirds of the states, so suffragists spent the next year working hard to gain support for the bill. On Aug. 24, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state to ratifythe amendment, which passed by only one vote. The amendment was finally signed into law on Aug. 26, 1920.
Another attempt to codify women’s rights into law was the ERA, that was first introduced in 1923. Part of text of the Equal Rights Amendment states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United Sates or by any state on account of sex.”
It was finally approved by the U.S. Senate 49 years later, in March 1972. It’s hard to believe, but to this day, it has failed to be ratified by enough states to become law. This was (and is) due in part to mounting intense opposition from conservative religious and political organizations. Just recently, Defense Secretary Hegseth reposted a video citing Christian nationalist opposition to the idea of women voting. This is a threat to women’s right to vote.
The League of Women Voters has a long-standing record of defending the right to vote for all people.
On Aug. 26, 1970, Betty Friedan and the National Organization for Women organized a nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality. Women across the political spectrum joined together to demand equal opportunities in employment and education, as well as 24-hour childcare centers.
This was the largest protest for gender equality in United States history. There were demonstrations and rallies in more than 90 major cities and small towns across the country and over 100,000 women participated, including 50,000 who marched down Fifth Avenue in New York City. While the strike did not halt the activities of the nation, it drew national attention to the Women’s Movement.
In 1971, Representative Bella Abzug (D-NY) introduced a successful bill designating Aug. 26 of each year as Women’s Equality Day.
Part of the bill reads “Women’s Equality Day is a symbol of women’s continued fight for equal rights and that the United States commends and supports them. It decreed that the president is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation annually in commemoration of woman suffrage and the 1970 Strike for Equality.”
Almost 150 years later, women today continue to draw on the history of these brave and determined women. Women continue to demand fair and equal treatment in the eyes of our country and the law.
There is much work yet to be done, both legally and socially, so that women can finally have true equality. But for now, let’s celebrate Women’s Equality Day and the progress made!
Co-published by Ellensburg Daily Record newspaper on August 23, 2025. Maureen McKinney helps chair Communications/Outreach for the League of Women Voters of Kittitas County. She is retired and lives in the Manastash Canyon with her dog Belle. Living with wildlife (except for one rogue turkey!) in our beautiful county is her happy place.