Women's History Facts

Political Equality

The 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention was the first time people came together to work specifically for women's rights. Attended by over 300 people, mostly women, the conference adopted as its conclusion a "Declaration of Sentiments," modeled after the Declaration of Independence, with resolutions calling for women's educational opportunity, equality under the law, and the right to vote. Similar conventions were held throughout the country during the next twenty years. On October 23, 1915, more than 33,000 women marched up Fifth Avenue in New York City in the largest parade ever organized for woman suffrage. Known as the "banner parade" because of the multitude of flags and banners carried, it began at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and continued until long after dark, attracting a record-breaking crowd of spectators. Motor cars brought up the rear decorated with Chinese lanterns; once darkness fell, Fifth Avenue was a solid mass of moving colored lights.

Poster of an official program for a woman suffrage procession held in Washington, DC, March 3, 1913 from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, Special Collections, Austin, TX [Source: National Archives and Records Administration]

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote was certified as part of the U.S. Constitution. Referred to as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, it states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

At the request of Eleanor Roosevelt, President Kennedy established the President's Commission on the Status of Women on December 14, 1961 by an executive order. The charge of the Commission was to review women's progress and make recommendations for constructive action on employment, social insurance, tax laws, federal and state labor law and legal treatment. On October 11, 1963 the Commission's Report was published, documenting pervasive sex discrimination and the absence of support systems for women's changing lives. It called for clarification of the legal status of women under the Constitution by the U.S. Supreme Court.

On March 22, 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 84-8 and was sent to the states for ratification -- a major victory for NOW, Business and Professional Women (BPW) and the National Women's Party and other feminist organizations. By the end of the year, the following 22 states had ratified the ERA: Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The Supreme Court decided on January 22, 1973 in the case of Roe v. Wade that state laws restricting abortion in the first three months of pregnancy were invalid, grounding the decision on the right to privacy. On the same day, in Doe v. Bolton, the Court struck down procedures required by statute that created unnecessary obstacles for a woman who sought an abortion.

The ERA Reunion at Feminist Expo 2000

On July 9, 1978, over 100,000 women and men of all ages and races marched down Consitution Avenue to the Capitol steps to deliver to message: the people of America want the Equal Rights Amendment, and they want the extension! The NOW-organized march halted traffic and eclipsed the entire Capitol Mall in a sea of purple, gold, and white (the old suffragist colors). Marchers struggled through 95-degree heat to hear NOW president Eleanor Smeal and others congratulate them on their perserverence and dedication to ERA.

The National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) was organized at a conference attended by some 2,000 women. the objective of the Caucus was to field women candidates, to influence both parties to support women, and to organize women at the state and local levels, based on the development of local caucuses. Among the organizers were Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisholm, and Betty Friedan.

The Feminist Majority's 1992 "Feminization of Power Campaign" inspired record numbers of women to run for public office -- helping to double the percentage of women in Congress and double the rate of growth of women in state legislatures.

In the 1996 the Gender Gap was credited with winning the presidential election for Bill Clinton. The gender gap represents the difference in voting patterns between women and men for a particular candidate, party, or issue. In 1996, 11% more women voted for Clinton than men voted for Clinton. Learn more about the Gender Gap

[ For the historical context of most of these facts and events, see our online version of the acclaimed Feminist Chronicles, the source for all facts not otherwise cited on this page]

Educational Equality | Political Equality | Equality in the Workplace