[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 122, 110th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8278--AUG. 22, 2008

Proclamation 8278 of August 22, 2008
Women's Equality Day, 2008
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
With vision and determination, American women have helped build our
great Nation. On Women's Equality Day, we remember the dedication of
women who overcame many obstacles in order to secure the right to vote.
The struggle for women's rights is a story of strong women willing to
take the lead and pave the way toward equal voting rights for all
American citizens. In 1848, a group of determined women came together in
Seneca Falls, New York, to proclaim that ``all men and women are created
equal,'' and demand suffrage. On August 26, 1920, their voices were
finally heard, and the 19th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed
women the right to vote.




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122 STAT. 5339

As we look back on the journey to women gaining suffrage, we remember
the sacrifices of people like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady
Stanton. More than 160 years after the Seneca Falls Convention, we
celebrate the spirit, leadership, and hard work of those pioneering
women. We also recognize the women who continue in this tradition by
acting as role models in their communities, helping raise the next
generation of Americans, leading in their professions, and serving in
the Armed Forces protecting our country. These women are continuing on
the path set by those who came before them, so that all Americans can
realize the great promise of our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2008, as
Women's Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States to
celebrate the achievements of women and observe this day with
appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day
of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
third.
GEORGE W. BUSH