Women's History Month/100 Years of Women's Suffrage in 2020

In 1980 President Jimmy Carter proclaimed March as “Women’s History Week” since International Women’s Day falls on March 8th. Congress declared all of March to be “Women’s History Month in 1987. In the past three decades, schools and communities across the country have highlighted women’s contributions to history during the month of March. I find it a bit troubling that few people seem to be aware of this month dedicated to putting a spotlight on the achievements of women and girls (Washington Post source).

In addition to the March Women’s History Month, this year, 2020, marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. This year's theme honors "the brave women who fought to win suffrage rights for women, and for the women who continue to fight for the voting rights of others" (National Women's History Alliance source).

 While I support the idea of having a month to highlight women’s achievements, I also feel that textbooks shortchange girls, and not enough is being done to uncover the buried lives and works of so many women in the past.  We know a few of the sheroes of the past who helped women get the vote, for example…Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul. Have you heard of Lucy Stone, who spent more time in jail protesting for women’s right to vote than anyone else? Or have you heard of Zitka la Sa, who fought for Native American suffrage, or Dr. Mabel Ping Hua-Lee who fought for women’s voting rights, even though as a Chinese American, she couldn’t vote herself? There were many other women who fought for women’s suffrage, but they have been erased from our history, just as so many women who have done heroic deeds and helped advance our civilization, have been sidelined (National Park Service source).

Even though women were given the right to vote in 1920 with the 19^th Amendment, African-American women did not get the right to vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed. Some Native American women got the vote even later as Congress passed a law to let states decide when Native Americans could vote. Arizona and New Mexico allowed Native Americans to vote in 1948, with other states allowing Native Americans to vote during the next three decades. As with African Americans, Native Americans were subjected to such obstacles as a poll tax and literacy tests, which prevented many from voting (Library of Congress source).

When President Carter was proclaiming Women’s History Month, he also used his position to try to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed. “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” https://www.equalrightsamendment.org)

 

In 2020, we are still trying to pass the ERA. Now all 50 states have ratified it, but it is stalled in Congress due to the time limitation imposed on this amendment, having passed. No such deadline is typically imposed on constitutional amendments. The United States is one of the few developed countries that doesn’t include equal rights for women in its constitution.

What I am going to do for Women’s History Month is to check on the progress of the ERA in Congress. If we can get the Equal Rights Amendment that Alice Paul first proposed in 1923--100 years ago--passed in 2020, it will be another significant milestone for women in the United States. Equality under the law. Imagine that.