[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 31, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 48479-48480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18921]


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

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 48479]]

                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.

[[Page 48480]]

                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.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-18921
Filed 8-30-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P