This week celebrates 100 years of the 19th Amendment and Women’s Equality Day, marking the anniversary of the actual adoption of the amendment into the U.S. Constitution.
As the world adjusts to a new normal in the working world, take time to remember the generations of women before you who fought so they could have equal pay, be protected from sexual harassment in the workplace and be offered the same professional opportunities as their male counterparts. Equality Now is diligently working to uphold this progress of past feminists and forge the way for future momentum, but we couldn’t keep the pace without our community of everyday activists and supporters. We still have a ways to go to achieve full equality, but this Women’s Equality Day you can help us by thinking of what you can do to help future generations of women and girls within your workplace.
Below are a few ways you can get involved with Equality Now within your workplace:
1. Take time during a conference or a meeting to create a space to discuss gender equality 100 years after the 19th Amendment. You can brainstorm ways to open the floor on how to incorporate gender equality into your office culture. Need inspiration, take a look at our Equal Rights Amendment Explainer and start the conversation there.
2. Ask your company about gift matching. Donate a small portion of your salary to Equality Now and ask your employer if they offer a match to double or triple your contribution.
3. Hold a fundraiser at your work for Equality Now. There are many creative ways to activate your team to raise money for a good cause, including virtual raffles, online group games, video call happy hours for a cause, etc. We held an ERA postcard writing party pre-social distancing, but the format could easily be repeated over a Zoom chat with our virtual postcard guide here!
4. Set up a time for your team to watch Equality Now’s latest episode of At Home with our guest Jamia Wilson. We discussed her work at The Feminist Press, the Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S., and intersectional feminism. You and your team watch the full At Home with series here.
5. Missing your colleagues? Get some matching Equality Now swag to show off on zoom calls at our store.
We still have a ways to go to achieve total equality, but it’s the collection of little things you can do in your everyday life on important anniversaries like Women’s Equality Day that make a big difference in our fight for equality.