U.S. Ranks 43rd in Gender Equality: A Women’s Equality Day Call to Action
Issue 235— July 10, 2023
“We want it all, but we’ll take half.” — Bella Abzug.
Abzug, the late NY Congresswoman and architect of Women’s Equality Day, made that declaration with a touch of wry humor, but she was serious as a heart attack. This sentiment resonates with an all-too-real truth about the ongoing struggle for women’s equality.
So what is Women’s Equality Day that we will observe on August 26, 2023 and why should you care?
The statistics in this article on NBC.com tell the tale: The U.S. ranks 43rd globally among all the countries of the world on the gender parity index, and has actually slid down 16 places on the index since last year. That’s shameful.
But let me make the connection more directly — you might be surprised at the history and currency of this date.
On August 26, 103 years ago, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was officially published, granting women the right to vote. Of course we know that not all women were initially included — you can read more of that sordid history here.
Still, it is significant to note that because she realized voting rights meant nothing if women failed to use their newfound political power to get policies that implemented equality, suffragist Alice Paul wrote the Equal Rights Amendment exactly 100 years ago, in 1923.
That is why Women’s Equality Day, observed on August 26, is the perfect opportunity to examine the roots of this struggle, understand its significance today, and inspire collective action to achieve true equality. And it is why Take The Lead chooses to hold our annual Power Up Concert and Conference on that date. This year it will be in Los Angeles at UCLA.
Women’s Equality Day 2023: A Powerful Call for True Equality
Do you think it’s a done deal, that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex,” as the simple, straightforward language of the ERA articulates?
Think again. The ERA has passed Congress and the required number of states, but still to this day has not been published into the Constitution.
Congresswoman Abzug introduced the resolution officially designating August 26 as Women’s Equality Day in a bid to refocus national attention on the stalled progress of the ERA, and precisely because the Equal Rights Amendment was still not law. In 1973, Congress approved the resolution to officially designate August 26th as Women’s Equality Day.
Every president since Richard Nixon has followed suit, issuing a proclamation to commemorate the day. Yet, without the ratification of the ERA, this day underscores not equality but the persistent inequality that women face.
Really, August 26 is Women’s INequality Day because we still don’t have the ERA — and more.
For here we are, with further setbacks to gender parity that caused the U.S.’s dismal rating on that gender parity index. To name a few:
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned 50 years of reproductive freedoms last year in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Though that decision theoretically dealt only with abortion and sent the responsibility for policy back to the states, within the ruling are the clear intent by some justices to roll back the right to birth control as well.
In the workforce, women continue to earn just 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. In leadership roles, women remain markedly underrepresented, with only 10% of Fortune 500 companies led by female CEOs. Women hold only a quarter of the seats in the U.S. Congress. Every aspect of our society is stained by this disparity, making the emphasis on Women’s Equality Day more poignant and necessary than ever before.
Gender-based violence looms large, with the World Health Organization estimating that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
Women’s Equality Day is not merely a call to rectify existing disparities; it’s a time to shape a better future.
It’s an opportunity to champion women’s achievements, to celebrate the progress that has been made, and to inspire a new generation of women to break barriers and shatter expectations. This day is about fostering an environment in which every woman can assert her right to live freely, to voice her opinions without fear, and to pursue her ambitions — to lead her intentions — without constraint.
Women’s Equality Day serves as a rallying cry for us all — regardless of gender — to recommit ourselves to the cause of equality. We will rekindle the conversation around gender parity, honor those who are leading the charge, and drive purposeful action toward parity for you as an individual and collectively.
Women’s Equality Day is not just a day; it is a movement. It is about creating a more inclusive, fair, and prosperous world for all of us. But to achieve it, we must go beyond celebrating Women’s Equality Day as a relic of the past and transform it into a catalyst for the future.
Your commitment, your voices, and your hands can turn Women’s Equality Day into a genuine celebration of parity.
Let us come together on August 26, at the Power Up Concert and Conference, to take the leap toward a more equal tomorrow. Because to channel Abzug, the time has come to claim our half.
To find out more and register, sponsor, or exhibit, click here: Power Up Concert and Conference. The theme is “Lead YOUR Intention.”
Because the mission of intersectional gender parity in leadership by 2025 has never been more important. Let’s Lead OUR Intentions together.
GLORIA FELDT is the Cofounder and President of Take The Lead, a motivational speaker and expert women’s leadership developer for companies that want to build gender balance, and a bestselling author of five books, most recently Intentioning: Sex, Power, Pandemics, and How Women Will Take The Lead for (Everyone’s) Good. Honored as Forbes 50 Over 50 2022, and Former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, she is a frequent media commentator. Learn more at www.gloriafeldt.com and www.taketheleadwomen.com. Tweet Gloria Feldt.