About Women's Equality Day
When is Women's Equality Day? This holiday is always celebrated on August 26.
Women’s Equality Day commemorates the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. On this August 26 holiday, we commemorate the success of the Women’s rights movement to date and commit ourselves to further improvements.
In 1971, after much work, and at the urging of U.S. Representative Bella Abzug (D-NY), Congress designated August 26 each year as Women’s Equality Day. This day was selected to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on August 26, 1920. This amendment granted women the right to vote. This was the culmination of decades of effort by women suffragettes and other groups. Their efforts dated back to the first women’s rights convention in 1848 at Seneca Falls, New York.
Celebrate this day in several ways. First, stop and celebrate the accomplishments made in gaining the right to vote, and towards equality for women. Women’s rights groups suggest you continue to be involved in pursuing full and equal rights for women in all areas and all issues.