Women's Bureau Director Sara Manzano-Díaz Celebrates Women's Equality Day
Ninety years ago marked two important milestones for women; the creation of the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving American women the right to vote.
The Women’s Bureau was created to formulate standards and policies to promote the welfare and improve the working conditions of wage-earning women. Today, August 26, the Bureau joins the nation in observing Women’s Equality Day, celebrating the women’s right to vote.
Voting is an important part of our responsibilities as citizens. Let us continue to show our appreciation for the sacrifices of the women who came before us, whose shoulders our opportunities rest on, by actively participating, not only in voting, but in the great public policy debates of our country. We must remember the women who worked tirelessly for decades to make this historic achievement possible. They used a variety of tactics to get the Amendment ratified, including forming suffrage associations, attempting to vote and getting arrested, marching up 5th Avenue in New York and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, and picketing the White House.
The importance of exercising the right to vote—to have a voice in choosing elected representatives and through them making important decisions that will affect our future – cannot be overstated. Women must share the message with their sisters, daughters, friends and mentees about how important voting is to our country and to furthering the progress of women, both young and old. We need only look around the world for examples of young women who are courageously fighting for their right to democratically elect representatives of their own choosing. We must not only treasure our right to vote, but make use of it and ensure that our voices are heard.
The Women’s Bureau will continue advocating for women’s issues, especially that of equality, and implore all eligible women to exercise their right to vote.
SU VOTO ES SU VOZ
YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE
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