Today is Women’s Equality Day, a federal holiday that marks the passage of the 19th Amendment, which extended voting rights to some–but not all–women. 

Today, we honor and recognize all the women involved in the suffrage movement, including the Black suffragettes who faced extreme racism and sexism during their fight for voting rights and the Black women who continue to lead this work today.

In recent years, voters, particularly voters of color, have encountered significant barriers to participating in elections, thanks in part to the stripping of key voter protections from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder. 

At YWCA, we believe there should be as few barriers as possible to the act of casting a vote, especially for women and communities of color. For democracy to work for all of us, it must include us all. No matter our color, party, or zip code, we all want an equal say in the decisions that shape our future.

Here a few things you can do today to support all women and the continued fight for equality, particularly at the ballot box:

• Tell the Senate to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which will protect voting rights for women and people of color.
• Register to vote or check your voter registration! Voter rolls continue to be purged around the nation, particularly in communities of color. Tell your friends to check, too.
• Join us & YWCA USA (@YWCAUSA) for a #WomensEqualityDay social media storm at 12:00 p.m. ET TODAY to celebrate our victories while empowering our communities to continue to take action against the challenges still facing our democracy today. Tag us in your posts so we can share.