Women’s Equality Day 2023: Theme, Date, History, Significance

26 August is observed every year as the Women’s Equality Day in the United States. The special day commemorates the passing of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on 18^th August 1920 that granted the right to vote to women. Earlier, this right was reserved for men of the states only.

The amendment was first introduced in 1878 but it was only in 1920 that it was ratified, successfully eliminating the discrimination to vote on the basis of gender. The U.S. Congress designated August 26 as Women’s Equality Day in 1971 to mark this event.

Women’s Equality Day 2023 Date

Below mentioned are the upcoming dates for Women’s Equality Day for the next 5 years.

Women’s Equality Day 2023 Overview

Significance of Women’s Equality Day 2023

Women’s Equality Day is a day to remind the current generation the efforts put by tens of thousands of men and women for over 72 years to obtain voting rights for the women of the country. It is also a day to honor all those women in the history of the country and even the world who fought and struggled for the better future for their next generation.

Women’s Equality Day is committed to recognizing and celebrating the diverse and historic accomplishments of women and is observed with great enthusiasm all around the country.

History of Women’s Equality Day Observation

The United States observe August 26 every year as Women’s Equality Day in response to the adoption of Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) which prohibits the states and the federal government from refusing the voting rights to the United States’ citizens on the basis of gender. The Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the proclamation granting American women the constitutional right to vote on August 18 in 1920.

But the fight for equality was far from over here and again in 1970 there started a nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality and the battle continued for the Equal Rights Amendment. Following this, in 1971 a resolution was passed to designate August 26 as Women’s Equality Day. The day was officially designated by Congress in 1973 and is proclaimed each year by the President of the United States.

List of Holidays and Observances in United States

Women’s Equality Day Proclamation

A proclamation was issued by President Richard Nixon in 1972 designating August 26, 1972, as Women’s Rights Day. The Proclamation 4147 was the first official proclamation of Women’s Equality Day. Later on August 16, 1973, the US Congress approved H.J. Res. 52 stating August 26 to be observed as Women’s Equality Day every year which also mentioned that ‘the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation on this day’.

On the occasion of Women’s Equality Day 1973, President Nixon issued Proclamation 4236 for Women’s Equality Day, which began, in part: “The struggle for women’s suffrage, however, was only the first step toward full and equal participation of women in our Nation’s life. In recent years, we have made other giant strides by attacking sex discrimination through our laws and by paving new avenues to equal economic opportunity for women. Today, in virtually every sector of our society, women are making important contributions to the quality of American life. And yet, much still remains to be done”. 

Every president since Richard Nixon issues a proclamation designating August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.

Celebration of Women’s Equality Day in 2023

Women’s Equality Day provides an opportunity to honor the women who have fought for equal rights that was not just for them but also for the future generations to come. The day is also about empowering and supporting all women and encouraging them to succeed on the path of progress and diminishing obstacles that lie ahead of them.

You can celebrate the day by expressing your gratitude to all the influential women in your life, be it your mother, sister, wife, friend, girlfriend or even a colleague. Spend some quality time with these women to celebrate and embrace womanhood. There are many charity events organized on this day to support women’s empowerment and you can do your part by making a contribution towards it. Supporting women entrepreneurs is also a great way to celebrate this day.

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