Congressman Danny K. Davis Marks Women’s Equality Day

August 26, 2015

Today, Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL-7) marked Women’s Equality Day in celebration of the adoption of the 19^th amendment 95 years ago by calling for an escalation of the struggle for full equality for women in every aspect of life.

Congressman Davis said, “The 19^th amendment guaranteed women the right to vote after more than 70 years without suffrage.  Voting rights for women signified important progress in our nation’s ongoing pursuit of equality among citizens.  Women have contributed to the innovation and greatness of this nation in all aspects of life.  The early suffragists risked their freedom to empower social and political change to advance equality both domestically and internationally.   Arts and humanities blossomed with the talents exhibited by Maya Angelou, Pearl S. Buck, and many others.  Education improved due to the remarkable work by women such as Elizabeth Blackwell and Shirley Jackson.  Our nation’s laws benefited greatly from the legislative service of Congresswomen Jeannette Rankin, Shirley Chisholm, and Barbara Jordan.”

Davis continued, “As we celebrate the importance of women in our country, we must continue to focus on the many areas in which women’s equality remains a goal rather than a reality.  The unfortunate reality is that in some aspects, from reproductive rights to voting rights, the rights of women are under attack once again.  Studies have shown that women wait longer to get diagnosed with peripheral artery disease and heart disease, including angina and heart attack. They are less likely to receive drugs to treat angina or a heart attack. And they're less likely to be referred for an ECG, a bypass, or stenting surgeries.  The roll back in access to voting rights protection will disproportionately impact women.

Violence against women remains an epidemic.  About one-third of female murder victims ages 12 or older are killed by an intimate partner. (Department of Justice 2007).  One out of every five American women has been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. (The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2010).

Women across this country face economic challenges.  According to the National Women’s Law Center poverty is a women's issue. Nearly six in ten poor adults are women, and nearly six in ten poor children live in families headed by women.  Poverty rates are especially high for single mothers, women of color, and elderly women living alone.  The National Women's Law center reports that nation-wide women earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by men.  Even though women make up nearly half of the workforce, economic inequality in pay yields inequality in current economic security and well-being as well as long-term inequality in retirement saving and security in the golden years.  Although women are the primary care takers in the majority of households, paid sick leave to care for loved ones during family emergencies is a luxury rather than a given. Closing these gaps must be national priorities.  Closing these gaps will relieve key financial burdens facing women and allow our nation and its citizens to thrive.”

Davis added, “If the fabric of society is only as strong as the threads that hold it together, then surely the duty of government must be to reinforce those threads, not to pull them apart.  As we mark today’s progress toward equality, we must recommit to advancing opportunities for women.  Equality among women and men is essential to the foundation of the United States; when women succeed, America succeeds.”