When the Seneca Falls Convention was held in 1848, little could the organizers have imagined what would transpire in the 173 years after. The convention, largely credited as the beginning of the women’s rights movement in the United States, advocated for equal rights among women and men, following decades of activism from renowned suffragists and abolitionists such as Susan B. Anthony, Ida H. Harper, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Carrie Chapman Catt. Chief among those rights? The vote.
Of course, when the 19th amendment was passed in 1920, it did grant women the right to vote - but not all women. It wouldn’t be until decades later, in 1965, that many women of color would finally be able to exercise their right to suffrage. In the years since, women have fought for equal representation before the law, protection from harassment, the right to equal pay for equal work, the right to purchase a home or obtain a credit card in their own name - amongst countless other measures.
While significant progress has been made, there is still much to be done. Disparities still remain. After all, in the past year alone, almost three million women have left the U.S workforce as the coronavirus pandemic continues to drive furloughs, layoffs, and lack of childcare - overwhelmingly affecting women of color.
This Women’s History month, we’ll be pulling back the curtain. In the coming weeks, you’ll hear from female members of our team and the effects the pandemic has had on their personal and professional lives, and how they’re navigating this new chapter of women’s history.