Today is anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, women’s right to vote. It is offensive that an amendment was even needed. Most astonishing is it was a hard fight. The Senate originally voted against the amendment and only voted for it when women worked to convince men to vote against the re-election of Senators who did not support the 19th Amendment. Realizing the influence women could have on their political careers they changed their minds and passed the 19th Amendment. There were many more challenges before it finally was ratified on August 26, 1920. Thank you Susan B. Anthony, Emmeline Pankhurst, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and all the suffragettes and the men that supported them.
This was a big step in the history of women. Next came the sexual revolution then the work of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, who fought to change the role of women in our society, to have us seen as leaders and free to pursue our own dreams. That fight continues.
And now we are pushing the limits even further with women defining a new vision for themselves as professionals, business owners, wives and mothers. We are redefining success and changing the culture of business. We want businesses and careers that serve our lives. We are not done. More needs to change in our culture and other cultures around the world for women to create freely from within, expressing who they are in the world.
Thank you to all the women who came before us and have changed the energy, cleared old concepts and programming so that we can have the freedom to be who we are at our core. We are not done.