Women’s equality not an achievement but an ongoing effort
Those of an age will remember a late 1960s TV commercial, “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!” The ad targeted women, encouraging them to celebrate their social progress by consuming a hawked product. That approach wouldn’t pass muster today because of its wording and the product endorsed (cigarettes). Still, the marketing firm made a solid point: Women’s progress was something to celebrate.
That is something to remember as the nation commemorates the 50th anniversary (1973) of the congressionally designated “Women’s Equality Day.” Celebrated each year on August 26, the day acknowledges the certification of the 19th Amendment (1920), which gave women the right to vote. It also honors ongoing work, as the congressional resolution put it, “to secure and expand equal rights today.”
That work continues because women’s equality is not an achievement but an ongoing effort. The conclusion is underscored by findings from a recent review of reports that we conducted for Women’s March Fort Myers and the Lee County Chapter of the National Organization for Women, organizations in which we serve as officers.
Data show that while progress has been made, significant gaps remain in various areas, including pay, leadership positions, health care, and in identity and reproductive justice. For example, men continue to out-earn women by 8-27%, depending on age, race, and field of work. Pew Research reported that the gap is especially onerous for Black and Hispanic women. The Center for American Progress also reported that nearly 15% of American women continue to live below the poverty line. In Florida, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a 17% gap ($8,000 per year) between men and women who work full-time and year-round. That’s today. McKinsey projects that technological advances, including Artificial Intelligence, mean that lower-wage workers are up to 14 times more likely to need to change jobs, and women are 1.5 times more likely to be displaced.
Health care access is another area of serious concern. PBS reported that maternal mortality is rising nationally — from 17 to 33 deaths per 100,000 births in the last four years (2018-2022) — and is much worse for Black mothers (70 deaths per 100,000 births). Data also reveal that multiple and adverse health-related circumstances are experienced by women generally (e.g., 25% report violence with intimate partners), and therapists at Better Health report that minority and LGBTQ+ women are disproportionately affected in physical and mental health, access to jobs, housing, and health care. There’s more. The Guttmacher Institute found that nearly 60% of American women live in states that are hostile to extremely hostile to abortion rights, and Florida is one of those states.
What can you do? One option is joining like-minded Floridians to advance women’s equality. While activism is not the preference of all, every registered voter can take a stand by voting for candidates who work vigorously to advance women’s rights and standing. Voters can also make a difference by voting for or against constitutional amendments on Florida’s 2024 statewide ballot, especially concerning matters relevant to women across the state.
Our organizations strongly recommend voting against the Partisan School Board Elections Amendment, which would transition school board elections from non-partisan to party-affiliated races. This effort is part of the national movement to put K-12 education in the hands of political forces, which we oppose. We strongly believe school elections should be free from political influence/control.
On the other hand, we urge you to support the Prohibit Laws Restricting Abortion Initiative, sponsored by Floridians Protecting Freedom. Not yet certified to be on the ballot, you can sign a petition to ensure that Floridians can vote for an amendment in November 2024. Passing it will ensure that “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s health care provider.” Learn more at floridiansprotectingfreedom.com/petition/
Women have come a long way, but there is a long way to go. Women’s Equality Day is a time to celebrate progress and target needed work.
Connie Martin and Kathy Mayo of Fort Myers and Frank Fear of Cape Coral are officers in Women’s March Fort Myers and the Lee County Chapter of the National Organization for Women.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Women’s equality not an achievement but an ongoing effort
