1. Nearly 100 years ago, the 19th Amendment to the U. S
Nearly 100 years ago, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteed the right to vote to American women – 51% of the U.S. population! When suffragists won political liberty for women in 1920, their victory capped the most extensive civil rights campaign our nation had ever experienced.
To recognize the dramatic story of the woman suffrage movement, and to remember women’s continuing efforts to form a more perfect union, August 26th has been designated by Congress as Women's Equality Day.
The theme for Women's Equality Day 2016 is Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government.
By championing basic human rights, equal access, and opportunity for all, women have led the way in establishing a stronger and more inclusive nation.
In celebration of Women’s Equality Day this year, I want to briefly highlight the accomplishments of sixteen women honored by the National Women's History Project.

2. Women’s Equality Day, August 26
Their stories underscore the reality that women from all cultural backgrounds, in all levels of public service and government, are essential in the continuing the work of “forming a more perfect union.”
Some of these women worked within established institutions like Congress and the military to update practices and improve the lives of others through legislation and policy reform.
Others created their own avenues of change, founding or participating in campaigns and organizations that became recognized institutions serving the public for generations.

3. Inez Milholland 1886 – 1916 Women’s suffrage leader and martyr
We begin with the woman suffrage campaign that spanned 72 years – three generations – and included tens of thousands of women who worked to expand American democracy. Among these dedicated and unrelenting suffragists was Inez Milholland, who fought for the rights of working class women, spoke out for racial equality, and worked for prison reform. She became the iconic image of the suffrage movement in 1913 when she famously led the great Woman Suffrage Parade in Washington, D.C. riding a white horse dressed as the "free woman of the future" in a flowing white cape and tiara. Three years later, while on a strenuous speaking tour to promote the 19th Amendment, Inez Milholland collapsed and died of pernicious anemia. Her reported last words were, “Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?”

4. Isabel Gonzalez 1882 – 1971 Champion of Puerto Ricans securing American citizenship
Carrying on the theme for liberty and justice is Isabel Gonzalez, a Puerto Rican woman who used her own personal experiences to fight for full citizenship rights for all Puerto Ricans. In 1902, when she tried to enter the United States, she was detained, labeled an alien, and considered a feared ‘ward of the state’ because she was pregnant. Decades later, even after she was an American citizen, Isabel Gonzalez continued her campaign until the issue was finally resolved in 1917 with the Jones-Shafroth Act, which granted all Puerto Ricans American citizenship and once more expanded the concept of a more perfect union.

5. Daisy Bates 1914 – 1999 Civil Rights Organizer & Leader of the Little Rock school integration
Embracing the most basic tenants of our democracy, Daisy Gatson Bates stood against racial discrimination and pushed for expanded educational opportunities for future generations. She was a key figure in the 1957 integration of public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. After nine young African-American students were chosen to be the first to integrate an all-white high school, Daisy Bates personally guided them and advocated nonviolence as the best way to deal with the brutal racism they faced in their high school experience.

6. Karen Narasaki 1958 – Present Civil and Human Rights Leader
Another who fought for the civil rights of America’s marginalized citizens is Karen Narasaki, who currently serves as a Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Her work focused on issues of Asian American equality, including voting rights, affirmative action, family immigration, media representation, and hate crimes prevention. Karen Narasaki is working to strengthen the ties between the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and other communities.

7. Sonia Pressman Fuentes
Present
Sonia Pressman Fuentes was the first woman attorney to work in the Office of the General Counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She fought to enforce employment discrimination laws and championed women’s equality in the work place. Sonia Fuentes' decisions and guidance played an extremely significant role in increasing the number of women who entered the work force in the second half of the 20th century.
NOW Co-Founder, First Woman Attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the EEOC

8. Nadine Smith
Present
Civil Rights Activist, Executive Director of Equality Florida
Nadine Smith has been “working to form a more perfect union” as a national leader in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender rights activism for almost three decades. As the Executive Director of Equality Florida, she leads efforts to stop discriminatory legislation and to overturn Florida’s ban on adoption by gay and lesbian parents. In 2008, Equality Florida’s work led to passage of a state anti-bullying law that spurred school districts across the state to add sexual orientation and gender identity to their anti-bullying policies.

9. Barbara Mikulski 1938 - Present
Longest Serving Woman in the U.S. Congress
Women have worked within government as well as outside already established institutions for years. U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski has become one of the most influential policy makers in the country. She is a vocal champion for such issues as equal pay, a woman’s right to choose, improving health care for and medical research on women, and subsidizing child care for low-income families. Senator Mikulski, the longest serving woman in the U.S. Congress, continues to work to form bipartisan coalitions.

10. Ella Grasso 1919 – 1981 Governor of Connecticut, First Woman U. S
Ella Grasso 1919 – Governor of Connecticut, First Woman U.S. Governor elected in her own right
Another woman who broke barriers to political leadership was Ella Grasso, the first female Governor of a state to be elected in her own right. Ella Grasso was a trailblazer who championed the rights of women, minorities, young people, the elderly, and the working class.

11. Suzan Shown Harjo 1945 – Present
Native American Public Policy Advocate and Journalist
Another trailblazer is Suzan Shown Harjo, who secured funding for Native American educational programs as the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians. Suzan Harjo has helped Native peoples regain more than one million acres of tribal land. She also co-produced the nation’s first Native American radio show and worked with museums to facilitate the return of sacred objects to Native peoples.

12. Judy Hart
Present
Women also work within the government in other ways. Judy Hart encouraged the National Park Service for 27 years to incorporate women’s history into our national parks and historic sites. She conceived of and helped establish the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York, and was named the first superintendent in Judy Hart was also instrumental in making the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Park in Richmond, California, a reality. This park recognizes the vital contributions women made during World War II.
National Park Superintendent and Civic Activist

13. Oveta Culp Hobby – WWII Director of the Women’s Army Corps & first Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Many women also worked within, and greatly influenced, the U.S. military. Oveta Culp Hobby was an innovative leader who helped define women’s initial role in the Army during World War II. She served as the first director of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, later the Women’s Army Corps, which included more than 150,000 women. After the war, Oveta Hobby was named the first Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a position she held until 1955.

14. Dorothy Stratton – WWII Director of the SPARS (Coast Guard Women’s Reserve) & Executive Director of the Girl Scouts of America
Another military pioneer was Dorothy Stratton, who helped to redefine women’s roles in the military during World War II as Director of the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserve. She was so influential that a Coast Guard Leadership Award was named after her in 2001.
The great leadership skills women used in government and in their communities were essential in forming a more perfect union.

15. Betty Mae Tiger Jumper 1923 – 2001 First woman Chief of the Seminole Tribe & Presidential Advisor
Fifty years ago, in 1967, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper became the first female tribal chief in the U.S. She worked her entire life to better the livelihood and commemorate the traditions of the Seminoles through political leadership and oral history preservation.

16. Sister Mary Madonna Ashton
1923 – Present
Public Health Leader, Minnesota Commissioner of Health
The work of religious women was also essential in forming a more perfect union. Sister Mary Madonna Ashton, CSJ, tirelessly provided health care for the poor and the sick and had an enduring impact on thousands of people. Appointed Commissioner of Health in Minnesota, Sister Mary Madonna helped pass landmark legislation to outlaw smoking in public places and, in response to the growing AIDS epidemic, instituted mandatory protections of the community’s blood supply.

17. Bernice Sandler 1928 - Present
Women’s Rights Activist, “Godmother of Title IX”
Education is a key component of a democracy but often the education of women has been seen as unnecessary. Bernice Sandler’s groundbreaking work against sex discrimination challenged social norms and changed American education. Her work resulted in landmark legislation that banned sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs. The Education Bill, often referred to as Title IX ("Title Nine"), was signed into law in 1972.

18. Nancy Grace Roman 1925 - Present Chief of Astronomy at NASA
Possibly one of the last, but essential, frontiers is in the field of science. Astronomer Nancy Grace Roman began a trailblazing career at NASA in She eventually became the first female executive there, known as the “Mother of Hubble” for her invaluable contributions in establishing the Hubble Space Telescope.

19. Forming a more perfect union is an ongoing process that includes all aspects of our society. An idea born in 1776 is still very much alive today.
Equality Day gives us a chance to reflect on women's contributions and the many benefits of true equality. As you can see, women in public service and government have long served the public good by working to change laws, implement new ideas, and change people’s attitudes.
The women we remember today, like so many other outstanding women and champions of equality, offer inspiring stories that give us a better understanding of our own place in history. They remind us that, as Americans, we all have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to overcome life's obstacles, to give our very best effort, and to join with our fellow citizens to actively form “a more perfect union.”
Thank you very much for participating in our program.

20. Happy Women’s Equality Day !
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