Celebrating Women's Equality Day
Happy Women’s Equality Day!
August 26th commemorates the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women in the U.S. the right to vote. But, depending on what part of the country you lived in, not all women could vote until almost 50 years later. The 1965 Voting Rights Act outlawed discriminatory voting practices in many southern states, like literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting.YWCA and Women’s EqualityFor over 120 years, YWCA has centered women and girls of color in its work precisely because they experience overlapping injustices due to their race, gender, and many times, socioeconomic backgrounds. Black, Indigenous, and women of color are most impacted by domestic, sexual, and gun violence.
55% of American Indian/Alaskan Native women have experienced physical intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime, a rate nearly twice as high as that among non-Hispanic white women
Black women are twice as likely to be shot by an intimate partner compared to white women
Approximately one in three Hispanic Women have experienced IPV in their lifetime
Black, Indigenous, and women of color’s lived experience is frequently overlooked as policy decisions are made. But these women don’t give up. In YWCA USA’s 2022 study, Y Women Vote, they found that despite obstacles to the ballot box for voters of color, Black women are the most determined to cast their vote. Y Women Vote also found that:
82% of Hispanic Women and Latinas reported they were very worried or somewhat worried about mass shootings and/or gun violence.
81% of Black women reported they are very worried or somewhat worried about mass shootings and/or gun violence.
77% of AAPI women reported they were very worried or somewhat worried about mass shootings and/or gun violence.
All women deserve to live free from the threat of violence.We will continue to advocate for women’s rights and equality for ALL through our work supporting Survivors of domestic and sexual violence, incarcerated mothers and their children, seniors living on low fixed incomes, and educating and engaging our community to be more just and inclusive. Women’s Equality is a Continued EffortWomen’s Equality Day celebrates women’s right to vote and also recognizes we still have work to do to eliminate racism, empower women. Today, many women in the U.S. that are Black, Indigenous, and women of color, immigrants, 2SLGBTQIA+, living on low-incomes and/or with disabilities, still face obstacles to meaningfully participate in civic life, including voting, because of inequitable access to the resources, supports, and opportunities they need to help them thrive and live to their fullest potential.Join YWCA in celebrating Women’s Equality Day and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity FOR ALL. Vote for Change
Are you registered to vote in Multnomah County or elsewhere in Oregon? Exercise your 19th Amendment right to vote by registering or updating your information (newly 18 or and/or update your address in Multnomah County). Every ballot matters and every social issue needs your input to create a more inclusive and equitable community for all.Social Justice Workshops for ChangeJoin us for Retaining a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce on September 22nd. This workshop will help participants develop tools to nuance organizational recruitment processes and practices, analyze retention strategies, and activate true inclusive movement in order to develop a social equity analysis that will set the frame to recruit, retain, and include folks of marginalized experience.
Learn more about gender identities in our upcoming workshop Understanding Gender on October 5th. In this interactive workshop, we will break down terms, participate in activities and engage in interactive learning focusing on gender and sexuality.