For many years, women have struggled to make their voices heard. But in 1973, women made a significant social advancement with Congress on August 26,  when Congress declared that day as the official Women’s Equality Day.

Women’s Equality Day is important, as it helps represent how women have worked hard to obtain the right to vote, and have a better system when it comes to women going through abuse. It has also opened new doors in the work field that were once closed and male-dominated. This applies to fields like the military, construction, law, and the medical field.

When asked why Women’s Equality Day is so important, Waleska Lopez states, “With the new administration, a lot of women are being tested along with the rights of many others, and so we need to keep fighting.”

While women have come far in society, it is clear that women still have a long way to go in society and should keep fighting for equality. Ms. Kathleen Halsne states, “We are made differently. I think that men are just created physically stronger, but that doesn’t mean it makes women weak, as they are created more emotionally strong, which isn’t a weakness, and our emotions as women are seen as weak, when they should be seen as a strength of ours.“

I, personally, as a female myself, find that women have come a long way from what they once were stereotyped as. Unlike what my grandmother and mother lived, I have been given many opportunities in life that they could not have had when they were younger.

It is thanks to the women before us who fought for our rights and are fighting for them that we are able to do things today, such as attend school, get government official jobs, vote, and more. So if you ever question if you’re able to do something because you are a woman, don’t forget that at one point, we were judged for even speaking up.

For those who wish to learn more about Women’s equality, the H.E.R.S. club is a small organization run by Ms. Vanessa Segura and students that work on helping educate on women’s rights.

When asked how the H.E.R.S. club works on educating members on women’s rights and much more, Ms. Segura states, “We start the year off with a project on the anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, as a time to really think about the vote of our voice.”