Women’s Equality Day is celebrated each year on August 26th to commemorate the August 26th, 1920 date the proclamation was signed for women to finally have the right to vote. The following are some ways to celebrate and recognize this important date –

Recognize the amazing women in your life and throughout history! 

Thank the women in your life – your spouse, your mother, your friends, your family. And recognize the many women in history that made a difference: 

• Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the United States in 1916. Her efforts contributed greatly to women today having access to contraception and better control over family planning.  
• Susan B. Anthony “devoted her life to the cause of women’s equality.” The nineteenth amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920 and is often referred to as the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment.” 
• Amelia Earhart was the first woman and second pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. 
• Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus in 1955, helping to launch the civil rights movement. 
• Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983. 
• Kamala Harris is the first woman and the first woman of color to be sworn in as Vice President of the United States. 

Support women-owned companies 

You can find a list of female-owned businesses on the Small Business Administration website or on lists like this one: 10 Women-Owned Companies You Should Know.  

Share their content on social media. Buy from them. Support their businesses. 

Register to vote! 

Women fought hard to get the constitutional right to vote; we should all have a voice! The passage of the 19th amendment was a long time coming – make Susan B. Anthony proud!  

Become part of a women’s networking group to help support female entrepreneurs 

The Women’s Foodservice Forum is one I hold near and dear to my heart that I had the pleasure of being a part of. They focus on advancing female leaders in the food service industry, creating gender equality and opportunities for women to succeed. 

Despite women making significant progress in the last century, there is a long way to go. Take a look at these facts in numbers to see what I mean:  

• 18 – the number of countries where husbands can legally prevent their wives from working 
• 39 – the number of countries where sons and daughters do not share equal inheritance rights 
• 23.7% – the percentage of women represented in National Parliaments 
• 132 – the number of years it will take to bridge the gender gap 
• 6 – the number of countries that give women equal work rights as men 

Rather than be discouraged by these numbers, let’s use them to energize our efforts to make a difference with women’s rights. Let’s keep our foot on the gas to continue making positive changes for women worldwide, to have equal rights in their professional and personal lives. The future of our daughters, sisters, granddaughters, wives, and all women – depends on it. Every vote, every voice, and every act of kindness to the women in your life count. No act is too small! 

Related Content:  

Celebrating International Women’s Day 

The Impact of Covid-19 on Gender Equality 

Breaking the Chains of Gender Bias