Women’s Equality Day: Why it matters

by Master Sgt. Waleska E. Rodriguez-Pettit &
Staff Sgt. Katelyn Pouncy
86th Medical Group

Women have played a vital role in the course of human civilization from raising families to leading armies and have made great strides throughout history, fighting towards full equality. There have been many obstacles that women have had to overcome to be granted the rights that we have today.

August 26 is nationally recognized as Women’s Equality Day, commemorating the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This day also highlights the continuing efforts of women towards full equality. 

Historically, women were treated as second-class citizens and were denied the full rights and privileges which were only available to men. In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott discussed the social, civil and religious conditions and rights of women at the Seneca Falls Convention held in New York. The Seneca convention sparked the women’s movement for equal rights in the United States, and in 1920, the 36 states approved the 19th Amendment.
The passage of the 19th Amendment is a testament to the courage and tenacity of the women and men who challenged the nation to live up to its founding principles.

The Civil Rights Move­ment of the 1960s added to this, giving African American women the right to vote as well. Sojourner Truth was a huge advocate of women’s suffrage and made an enormous contribution to the movement with her famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman.”
On June 12, 1948, the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was signed by President Harry Truman. This gave women the right to serve in the military. This was a giant leap in equality for women in the U.S. Some might be surprised that before April 1971, women were discharged from the Army if they became pregnant. We have come a long way since then, and now have great benefits for pregnant women in the military. Women may continue to serve through their pregnancy and after giving birth.

In 1993, Jeannie Leavitt became the first female fighter pilot. She was also the first female fighter wing commander when she assumed command of the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, in 2012.
On August 21, 2015, for the first time in the more than 65-year history of the Army Ranger tab, three women graduated from the grueling 62-day course. The U.S. Marine Corps graduated its first female artillery officers at the Field Artillery Basic Officers Leadership Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on May 12, 2016.

While there have been many successes, there are still many obstacles that women are facing in the world to reach full equality. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a woman in today’s workforce earns 18 percent less money than her male counterpart, for performing the same job. The average woman in the United States earns about 23 cents less on the dollar than the average man. There was a step in the right direction on January 29, 2009, when President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This made it a lot easier for women to challenge unequal pay.

The key to success is educating people and continuing to push for equal rights.