|        STATEHOUSE – Today (Aug. 26, 2013) is Women’s Equality Day. It was 93 years ago that the 19th Amendment of the United States Constitution was passed and women received the right to vote. They fought hard for that right. The struggle began more than 70 years earlier, and a struggle it was! I believe today is a good day to pause and reflect on how far we have come and where we are going.History shows us that strong women of the 19th and 20th Century paved the ground for women of the 21st Century to continue to stand united for equality. The women of the 1970’s took their movement to the streets to fight for childcare, reproductive rights, and pay equality. Women gained ground in areas of the workplace, and most recently, one ran for President of the United States.
If we look at history from a global perspective, it can be seen that women have made significant progress over the past several decades. Progress began with the 1945 adoption of the United Nations’ founding charter, which addressed the issue of equality for women and has continued through to current efforts by national and international organizations that are standing with women to teach, empower, and inspire. Women are rising against violence and succeeding as evident in the crackdown on rapes in India. These women are receiving recognition for the courage it takes to stand up for their rights. The young Pakistani teenager captured the world’s attention after she was shot by the Taliban because she preached for education. Films like “Half the Sky†and campaigns such as One Billion Rising have created conversation both nationally and internationally on women’s issues. While the discussions are moving to the political battlefront and empowering women around the world to stand together, I have to wonder about Indiana. I come from a generation where progression for women was at the forefront, but today, the ground gained is receding before my very eyes. The fight for reproductive rights continues in this state, and we have not even begun the real conversation about childcare and pay equality for women. Do you think we are ready as a state in 2014 to support equal pay or maybe paid sick leave for Hoosiers? I would never ever be where I am today, if it were not for the strong women that I have kept in my life. Mentoring is the most important thing that we can do for each other. I hope that I can encourage all of you to stand strong and united together; to continue the legacy of the women who stood up for our generations; and hopefully, with this in mind, we may be able to stand up for generations to come. |
You missed Margret Thacher, Mother Theresa and Governor Palin.
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