Equal rights and equal opportunities for women must be guaranteed

Does anyone know a woman who is 90 or older, perhaps a mother, a relative, a friend, a neighbor? Did you ever think about the fact that she was born before women had the right to vote?

Aug 26 marked the 91th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment giving us the right to vote! The passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 was the culmination of a long drawn out struggle that that started with the Seneca Falls, NY Women’s Rights Convention in 1848. In the ensuing years, strong women broke racial, religious, and social barriers in the long crusade to give us the right to vote. And among them was Hannah Greenbaum Solomon who founded the National Council of Jewish Women in 1893. But that was just the beginning. Decades later, NCJW advocates fought hard for the historic Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 to end discrimination in voting. More recently, NCJW has supported legislation to remove barriers to voting through the Help America Vote Act. Today, NCJW members continue the tradition by registering voters, encouraging women to vote, and educating about legislation and pending legislation that affects the well-being of women and their children.

The core belief of The National Council of Jewish Women is foundationally based on Fourteen Basic Principals. Principal No. 7 states: Equal rights and equal opportunities for women must be guaranteed. Our hard won right to vote is one such guarantee.

As members of NCJW, we come from a proud tradition. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Make sure you learn about the issues and the candidates and cast your vote in the upcoming November elections. As members of NCJW, we can and should do no less.