Embassy of the United States

Women

Women's Day Honors Accomplishments, Contributions  United States committed to advancing women's equality, president says By Michelle Austein Washington File Staff Writer 23 August 2006 This stamp commemorating the 75th anniversary of the 19th amendment, was released by the U.S. Post Office in 1995. (© AP Images) Washington -- President Bush has proclaimed August 26 as Women’s Equality Day to honor the contributions and accomplishments of women in the United States. “On Women’s Equality Day we celebrate this milestone and pay tribute to the inspiring individuals who stepped forward and asked our nation to live up to its founding principle of equality for all,” Bush said in his proclamation. August 26 marks the anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution’s 19th Amendment, which in 1920 granted American women the right to vote. Congress passed a joint resolution in 1971 designating the date as a holiday and authorizing the president to issue a proclamation annually. The women's rights movement originated in Seneca Falls, New York, in July 1847, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott called a convention to discuss the social, civil and religious condition and rights of woman. The convention's Declaration of Sentiments affirmed that women are entitled to the same rights as men. (See related article.) “By demanding participation in the democratic process,” the president said, “these visionaries helped spread freedom, justice and hope for generations to come.” The legacy of leadership and strength that Stanton, Mott and others left behind have inspired women to become leaders in science, law, business, education, athletics and the arts, Bush said. “Our nation remains committed to advancing the equality of women in the world’s newest democracies and fighting threats to women around the globe,” the president said. See also the full text of the Women’s Equality Day proclamation. For additional information, see Women’s Rights. (The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)