Today is Women’s Equality Day, a celebration of the 19th amendment which the Women’s Suffrage Movement fought so hard to attain, and the men in power ratified in 1920. As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “We stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us. Let us remember the fierce determination of the women who won for us the right to vote, the right to engage in the political process. Let us honor their sacrifice, engage in the political process, and embrace your right to vote!”
But there’s still a long way to go, baby, especially in the realm of politics. Despite the growing trend of ferocious female politicos competing in recent elections, women only hold 17 percent of the seats in congress. As Erin Vilardi of the White House Project said, “The handful of women that you see near the top is just that—a handful.”
We can solve that, of course, by exercising the rights our foremothers won; get out, get involved, and vote! Thankfully, there’s no need for us to chain ourselves to anything anymore—unless you enjoy that kind of thing.
In other modern suffrage movements, the Catholic Women’s Organization has plastered its message on UK buses in preparation for the Pope’s visit to England and Scotland—“Ordain Women Now!”
Fifteen buses will sport the revolutionary religious message for a full month and travel by major destinations, such as Westminster Hall, in hopes of catching Pope Benedict’s attention during his speaking gigs. Women as political and spiritual leaders, shoulder-to-shoulder with men? Now that's what dreams are made of.