Women's Equality Day in the United States

Women's Equality DayAs Americans celebrate Women’s Equality Day, the United States continues to stand up for women’s rights around the world. In many countries, girls and women still dream of equality with men.

In some countries, women face extreme human rights violations such as female circumcision, and many are forced into prostitution or child marriage.

At a conference in Seneca Falls in 1848, a group of enthusiasts gathered and proclaimed that "all men and women are created equal" and that "the creator has endowed them with certain inalienable rights." The assembly grew into a national movement that led to the passage in 1920 of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.

The adoption of this amendment, though, was the culmination of a mass movement of women for civil rights, which lasted for many decades in a row. However, it took many more years to put this law into practice so that all women, regardless of color and race, could fully enjoy their rights.