Presidential Documents

48479 

Federal Register 

Vol. 86, No. 166 

Tuesday, August 31, 2021 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10239 of August 26, 2021 

Women’s Equality Day, 2021 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

Today, we celebrate Women’s Equality Day, a reminder not only of the 

progress women have won through the years, but of the important work 

that remains to be done. One hundred and one years ago, the ratification 

of the 19th Amendment moved our Nation one essential step closer to 

fulfilling its foundational promise—establishing at long last that no American’s right to vote could be denied or abridged on the basis of gender. 

As we reflect on the decades-long effort to win the fight for universal 

suffrage, we also remember the women of color who helped lead the movement to ratify the 19th Amendment, whose own rights would still be denied 

for years to come despite their hard-earned victory. We celebrate their extraordinary courage and resolve, and rededicate ourselves to the work we still 

have ahead of us to protect voting rights across our country. 

When the 19th Amendment was ratified, millions of women across the 

country could finally make their voices heard at the ballot box. But even 

with its ratification, millions were denied those rights by law or by practice 

through poll taxes, literacy tests, and campaigns of violence and terror 

that targeted voters of color. It took another 45 years before the Voting 

Rights Act secured the voting rights of millions of Americans of color, 

and an additional 10 years before voting protections would reflect the many 

languages Americans speak. 

Through these measures and others, our country has taken major strides 

to strengthen voting rights and expand access to make it easier for Americans 

to exercise their sacred right to vote. These victories have been especially 

vital for women, who often face increased caregiving demands and take 

on a disproportionate amount of low-wage and inflexible work—making 

it harder to take time off to vote in-person or wait out longer lines at 

the polls. Women are also disproportionately impacted by voter ID laws— 

especially married women who change their names, or those whose IDs 

do not accurately reflect their gender. 

Efforts to improve voting access have paid off; in 2020, we witnessed the 

greatest number of votes ever cast in American history. And one barrier 

that had stood for more than two centuries was finally dismantled with 

the inauguration of America’s first woman Vice President, Kamala Harris. 

But the struggle to ensure that every American is able to exercise their 

right to vote continues, especially for women of color. In the years prior 

to the 2020 election and in the months since, we have seen a wave of 

shameless attacks on voting—burdening a constitutional right with obstacles 

that overwhelmingly impact voters of color, low-income communities, and 

people with disabilities. These tactics are nothing new. But they are an 

affront to our most cherished values and rights as a Nation. 

As I have said before, some things in America should be simple and straightforward. Perhaps the most important—the most fundamental—is the right 

to vote and to vote freely. With it, anything is possible. Without it, nothing 

is. 


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48480 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 166 / Tuesday, August 31, 2021 / Presidential Documents 

My Administration is committed to bearing out the promise of the suffragists, 

who understood that for women to attain true equality in our country, 

they must have an equal place at the ballot box. As the Vice President 

has said, the status of women is the status of democracy. This is true 

abroad, too, where we are committed to strengthening women’s political 

participation and leadership around the world. 

In fulfillment of my Administration’s commitment to equality for all, we 

are focused not only on the sacred right to vote, but on making sure that 

all Americans have the opportunity to fully participate in our society. It 

is long past time we pass the Equal Rights Amendment, to enshrine the 

principle of gender equality in our Constitution, because no one’s rights 

should be denied on account of sex. On Women’s Equality Day, we recognize 

the unique challenges and barriers women face, and the rights that need 

defending and strengthening. These rights include a woman’s constitutional 

right to reproductive freedom and access to health care, regardless of zip 

code or income—and the right of every woman and girl to live free from 

violence, whether online, in the home, at school, or in the workplace. 

To ensure that women are treated fairly in our economy and in the workforce, 

we are also committed to fighting for pay equity, combating discrimination 

in the workplace, and passing family-friendly policies that help women 

and all of us manage caregiving and career responsibilities. 

Today, as we celebrate Women’s Equality Day, we recognize the pioneers 

whose fight for suffrage paved the way for future generations of leaders— 

and we recognize our duty to continue that fight to ensure that our daughters 

can enjoy the same rights and opportunities as our sons. Let us honor 

the efforts of trailblazers and barrier-breakers with meaningful action to 

promote gender equality and make exercising the right to vote more equitable 

and accessible for all. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2021, 

as Women’s Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States 

to celebrate and continue to build on our country’s progress towards gender 

equality, and to defend and strengthen the right to vote. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth 

day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and 

of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 

and forty-sixth. 

[FR Doc. 2021–18921 

Filed 8–30–21; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3295–F1–P 


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