Women’s Equality Day exists in recognition of an important moment in the history of the United States. August 26th is when the 19th amendment, the one giving women the right to vote, was ratified and officially became part of the Constitution of the United States.
Much of modern history has been defined by this decision, and extending suffrage more generally to all citizens of the United States. Women and People of Color having the ability to vote has radically changed modern legislation, politics, and how the country functions.
Giving women the right to vote, and later extending suffrage to all citizens, was also one of the major departures in the United States from the original governing ideas, where only landed men were allowed to vote. It was a move away from having a ruling class and a working class, and toward seeing each other as true equals with equal rights to speak and guide change in our society.
Women’s Equality Day In 2023
Today, a lot of people take the right to vote for granted, forgetting that these are rights we had to fight to earn. As a woman, a small business owner, a citizen, and a voter, I think it’s incredibly important to remember that voting is a privilege we had to fight to turn into a right.
I also think it’s important to recognize that equality in voting isn’t the same as equality of rights or equal treatment in life and in the different parts of our lives.
The last couple of years have definitely shown that, while women have come a long way, we still have a long way to go. At the same time, the last few years have also shown us quite a bit of how the protections that were in place for women and other marginalized communities were vulnerable, and that those fights weren’t as settled as we thought they were.
This year, and heading into the future, holidays like Women’s Equality Day seem more important than they were just a few years ago.
One of the reasons I make natural stone jewelry is that I feel like everyone should be allowed to have the fullest expression of themselves. Equality, Equity, and Equal Rights for Everyone, are a big part of that.
So, while Women’s Equality day isn’t necessarily jewelry-related, I’m going to talk about it. Because it’s important to me for many of the same reasons I make jewelry, why I work to make my jewelry sustainable and why I give back to the community.
