Women’s Equality Day

1. Women’s Equality Day August 26, 2017

2. Women’s Equality Day August 26 marks the anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement’s GREATEST victory—women achieving full voting rights following the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

3. Women’s Equality Day “Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920.” —National Archives https://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/19th-amendment

4. Women’s Equality Day Alice Paul, suffragist and women’s rights activist said, “The Woman’s Party is made up of women of all races, creeds and nationalities who are united on the one program of working to raise the status of women.” This presentation provides a historical timeline of our nation’s milestones leading closer to women’s equality since 1920.

5. Women’s Bureauis established The Women’s Bureau is established under the Department of Labor. The bureau is given the power to“…promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment.” 1920 https://www.dol.gov/wb/info_about_wb/interwb.htm

6. National Council of Negro Women Mary McLeod Bethune organizes the National Council of Negro Women, a coalition that lobbies against job discrimination, racism, and sexism. She envisions “Unity of Purpose and a Unity of Action” by working together and advocating the use of collective power on issues affecting women, their families, and their communities. 1935 https://www.nps.gov/mamc/index.htm

7. Fair Labor Standards Act President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) into law. For the first time, the federal government guarantees men and women a minimum wage and overtime pay, extending basic workplace protections to all—an important step forward for the labor movement and for women’s equality. The FLSA passage finally comes after years of negotiations spearheaded by Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member in U.S. history. 1938 https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/flsa1938

8. government-funded day-care centers The first government-funded day-care centers and nurseries are created. The federal government sponsors 400,000 preschool children attendance at day care so their mothers can work to produce war materials. After the war, the government removes its support of day-care programs and advises women to return home. The 1940s

9. Women’s Armed Services Integration Act President Harry Truman signs the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act into law. It granted women permanent status in the Regular and Reserve forces of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as the newly-created Air Force. 1948 http://www.dodlive.mil/2015/08/26/how-far-weve-come-the-militarys-closing-gender-gap/

10. Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services The Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) is created to advise on the recruitment of women into the military for the Korean War. DACOWITS’ recommendations will prove instrumental in effecting future changes to laws and policies pertaining to military women. 1951 http://dacowits.defense.gov/About.aspx

11. Montgomery bus boycott Rosa Parks refuses to vacate her bus seat for a white person in Montgomery, Alabama, prompting black and white women to join together to fight segregation and inequality. Her actions triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted more than a year. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/rosa-parks 1955

12. President’s Commission on the Status of Women President John Kennedy establishes the President’s Commission on the Status of Women to explore women’s issues. He appoints Eleanor Roosevelt to chair the commission. The commission documents substantial discrimination against women in the workplace, and makes specific recommendations that included fair hiring practices, paid maternity leave, and affordable child care. 1961 https://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-093-004.aspx

13. Equal Pay Act Congress passes the Equal Pay Act, requiring employers to pay all employees equally for equal work, regardless of their sex. 1963 https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/brochure-equal_pay_and_ledbetter_act.cfm

14. Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb is the first U.S. woman to undergo astronaut testing. However, NASA cancels the women’s program in 1963. It is not until 1983 that an American woman gets sent into space. 1963 https://history.nasa.gov/flats.html

15. Voting Rights Act President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting. The Act results in the empowerment of racial minorities—including minority women—throughout the country. 1965 http://www.lbjlibrary.org/press/voting-rights-act-media-kit

16. Executive Order 11375 Executive Order 11375 expands President Johnson’s affirmative action policy to cover discrimination based on sex. As a result, federal agencies and contractors must take active measures to ensure that women—as well as minorities—enjoy the same educational and employment opportunities as white males. 1967

17. Public Law 90-130 President Johnson signs Public Law 90-130, giving women in the Armed Forces equal promotion and retirement benefits, while retaining combat restrictions. This law also removes the 2 percent restriction on how many women can serve in the military. He states at the signing, “I realize that a few of our gentlemen officers may not be too enthusiastic about this possibility…But from now on, the officers and men of our Armed Forces will just have to take their chances in open competition along with the rest of us.” 1967 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=28533

18. Title VII The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission revises guidelines on sex discrimination, making it clear that the widespread practice of publishing “help wanted” advertisements that use “male” and “female” column headings violates Title VIIof the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 1968 https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/milestones/1968.html

19. Title IX Title IX of the Education Amendments bans sex discrimination in schools. It states: “No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Patsy Mink, the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress, is one of the principal authors of the Education Amendments. 1972 https://www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/statutes/titleix.htm http://history.house.gov/People/detail/18329

20. Equal Military Benefits The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Constitution guarantees that the benefits military dependents receive must be the same for female and male military members. Previously, benefits including military housing and family medical and dental care—available to servicemen’s wives — were routinely denied to servicewomen’s husbands. 1973 http://www.dodlive.mil/2015/08/26/how-far-weve-come-the-militarys-closing-gender-gap/

21. Equal Credit Opportunity Act The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status in the granting of consumer credit. The Federal Reserve publishes regulations to ensure enforcement. The law directs credit card companies to issue cards to women without requiring a husband’s signature, giving women power over their personal finances. 1974

22. Voting Rights Act The Voting Rights Act is amended to require that election materials be made available in other languages. This fosters more participation from other minority women. 1974

23. pregnant servicewomen The Department of Defense reverses policies and provides pregnant servicewomen with the option of leaving the military or remaining on active duty. Previous policies rested on the premise that women’s responsibilities as wives and mothers took precedence over their military careers. 1975 http://www.dodlive.mil/2015/08/26/how-far-weve-come-the-militarys-closing-gender-gap/

24. assignments to women The United States Coast Guard opens all assignments to women. The Women’s Army Corps is disestablished, and its members are integrated into the Regular Army. 1978

25. Pregnancy Discrimination Act The Pregnancy Discrimination Act amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and bans employment discrimination against pregnant women. Under the Act, a woman cannot be fired or denied a job or promotion because she is or may become pregnant, nor can she be forced to take pregnancy leave if she is willing and able to work. 1978 http://www.nwhp.org/resources/womens-rights-movement/detailed-timeline/

26. Public Law 94-106 The first women graduate from the service academies as a result of Public Law 94-106, signed by President Gerald Ford. Sixty-six percent of the women in the first co-educational classes graduated—compared to 70 percent of the men—whose attrition rate due to academic failure was twice that of the women. 1980 https://www.army.mil/article/173973/

27. head and master The U.S. Supreme Court overturns a law maintaining that a husband is “head and master” of a women’s property. Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court. 1981

28. Discrimination based on sex The U.S. Supreme Court holds that a work environment can be declared hostile or abusive because of discrimination based on sex, an important element in future sexual harassment cases. 1986

29. laws banning women Congress repeals laws banning women from flying combat missions (1991) and serving on combat ships (1993). In 1994, First Lieutenant Jean Marie Flynn becomes the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. 1990s http://www.dodlive.mil/2015/08/26/how-far-weve-come-the-militarys-closing-gender-gap/

30. 1993 The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is dedicated to honor over 265,000 women who served in the Vietnam War. It is the first memorial in Washington, D.C. dedicated to women’s patriotic service. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is established, guaranteeing a person up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a baby, adopt a child, place a child in a foster home, or care for an ill family member. FMLA applies to both women and men. Moreover, it empowers women to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of their families. 1993

31. 1994 The Violence Against Women Act is signed. The Act provides funding to investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women, imposes automatic and mandatory restitution from those convicted, and allows civil redress in cases prosecutors choose not to pursue. Congress repeals the law banning women from duty on combat ships. Women deploy with the USS Fox. 1994

32. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act is signed into law allowing an employee to recover back pay for up to two years preceding the filing of a discrimination claim. The Act is named after Lilly Ledbetter, a former Goodyear employee who was paid less than her male counterparts. 2009 https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/brochure-equal_pay_and_ledbetter_act.cfm

33. ban on womenIN combat roles lifted The ban on women serving in combat roles is lifted, overturning a 1994 Pentagon decision that explicitly prohibited women from serving in combat. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey says, “The time has come to rescind the direct combat exclusion rule for women and to eliminate all unnecessary gender-based barriers to service.” 2013

34. Women’s Equality Day Today, barriers that once seemed insurmountable have been reduced, and women are succeeding in a full range of professional jobs. Women are serving as judges and members of Congress, setting world records in sports, launching innovative companies, discovering advancements in science, and defending our nation. Ninety-seven years after the 19th Amendment was signed, women excel as leaders at the forefront of progress—at every level of society.

35. Women’s Equality Day “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.” —Elizabeth Cady Stanton Suffragist, social activist, abolitionist For Facts of the Day and additional DEOMI products go to: https://www.deomi.org/human-relations/special-observances.cfm

36. Prepared by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, Patrick Air Force Base, FloridaAugust 2017 Dawn W. Smith All photographs are public domain and are from various sources, as cited. The findings in this report are not to be construed as an official DEOMI, U.S. military services, or the Department of Defense position, unless designated by other authorized documents.