Friday August 26 is Women’s Equality Day. “Women’s Equality Day, celebrated every August 26, commemorates the passage of women’s suffrage in the U.S. and reminds us of the hurdles overcome by the heroic women who faced violence and discrimination to propel the women’s movement forward.” It was first celebrated in 1971, then in 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by US Congress, but failed to attain ratification by the required 38 states, including Arizona. My home state of Hawaii was the first to ratify.
UPDATED: See comment below from blogger/attorney Dianne Post re: ERA ratification.
Women have made tremendous progress since the 1970’s, as today we have our first woman Vice President of the United States, attorney Kamala Harris, who is Black/Asian American, elected in Nov. 2020. There have now 24 women U. S. Senators and 122 US Congresswomen.
In Arizona we have had several women Governors: Jane Hull, Janet Napolitano, and Jan Brewer. Two women are now vying to be our next Governor: Democrat Katie Hobbs, the current Sec. of State, and Republican Kari Lake. One of Arizona’s US Senators is a woman, and several women hold other statewide offices: Superintendent of Public Instruction, Arizona Corporation Commissioners (3), Treasurer. Tucson now has its first woman and first Latina Mayor.
So celebrate Women’s Equality Day on Friday, August 26. The Tucson AAUW (American Assn. of University Women) is hosting a celebration at the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. Please RSVP to tucsonaauwbranch@gmail.com.
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Celebrate women’s rights and how far we have come in the 20th and 21st centuries. Join the celebration today and work to continue equality for all girls and women. I now have a granddaughter and her choices are so much more than mine were. When I was growing up women were mostly only a few professions: teachers, secretaries/clerks and nurses. Now the options are limitless, but pay is still lagging behind in several careers.
The ERA HAS been ratified. It has the required number of states and it is in the Constitution as Amendment 28. The publication requirement is administrative not legally required. Every amendment that extended rights to people has been fought – so we were not surprised people are fighting this one. But it’s ratified; now we just need to make it effective. Here is a social media link to send out tomorrow on the day. https://erataskforceaz.com/news-and-events/f/womens-equality-day-2022
Thanks Dianne for the clarification. I stand corrected. Glad to hear this since Hawaii was the first state to ratify. But in Hawaii there has only been one woman Governor, two Lt. Governors (one of whom is now one of our US Senators), and another woman nominee (D) running for Lt. Governor in November, 2022.