August 26th Is Women's Equality Day

Today, August 26th, is national Women's Equality Day, which commemorates the anniversary of national women's suffrage. This day marks a turning point in history of the struggle for equal treatment of women and women's rights. This has been an historic year for New York State, as we successfully enacted several laws to help protect, strengthen and further advance women's rights.

Today is also a day to remember Johnstown native Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her great contributions. In 1854, Elizabeth received an unprecedented invitation to address the New York State Legislature. Her advocacy resulted in the passage of new laws that granted women the rights to their wages and to equal guardianship of their children. She helped organize the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869, and in 1878 she drafted a federal suffrage amendment that was introduced repeatedly in Congress. The amendment, in substantially the same language, was finally adopted in 1919. Elizabeth Cady Stanton died in 1902, almost 20 years before women were able to vote, but her efforts helped to change laws and attitudes. On November 2, 1920, some 8 million women legally voted in the United States for the first time.

This year marks the bicentennial of her birth and November 12th, the day of her birth, is Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day in New York State. This designation honors and recognizes the contributions that she made to our State and Nation.