PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – In 1971, the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day” at the request of Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY). The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive and peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.
In observance of Women’s Equality Day, celebrated each year on August 26, the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) announces the availability of original poster artwork available for download from www.deomi.org.
This year’s Women’s Equality Day poster represents a brief historical depiction of events spanning the last 100 years and the continued advancements made toward women’s equality. The sash is in to recognize the feats of the Suffragettes and the accomplishments of all who made sacrifices toward the Women’s Equality movement.
Workplaces, libraries, organizations, and public facilities now participate with Women’s Equality Day programs, displays, video showings, or other activities. For more information, visit the National Women’s History Project at: http://www.nwhp.org/resourcecenter/equalityday.php.
