[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8699 of August 25, 2011

Women's Equality Day, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution tore down the last
formal barrier to women's enfranchisement in our Nation and empowered
America's women to have their voices heard in the halls of power. This
Amendment became law only after decades of work by committed
trailblazers who fought to extend the right to vote to women across
America. For the women who fought for this right, voting was not the end
of the journey for equality, but the beginning of a new era in the
advancement of our Union. These brave and tenacious women challenged our
Nation to live up to its founding principles, and their legacy inspires
us to reach ever higher in our pursuit of liberty and equality for all.
Before the Amendment took effect, women had been serving our Nation in
the public realm since its earliest days. Even before they gained the
right to vote, America's women were leaders of movements, academics, and
reformers, and had even served in the Congress. Legions of brave women
wrote and lectured for change. They let their feet speak when their
voices alone were not enough, protesting and marching for their
fundamental right to vote in the face of heckling, jail, and abuse.
Their efforts led to enormous progress--millions upon millions

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of women have since used the power of the ballot to help shape our
country.
Today, our Nation's daughters reap the benefits of these courageous
pioneers while paving the way for generations of women to come. But work
still remains. My Administration is committed to advancing equality for
all of our people. This year, the Council of Women and Girls released
``Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being,'' the
most comprehensive report in 50 years on the status of women in our
country, shedding light on issues women face in employment, crime,
health, and family life. We are working to ensure that women-owned
businesses can compete in the marketplace, that women are not
discriminated against in healthcare, and that we redouble our efforts to
bring an end to sexual assault on college campuses.
On the 91st anniversary of this landmark in civil rights, we continue to
uphold the foundational American principles that we are all equal, and
that each of us deserves a chance to pursue our dreams. We honor the
heroes who have given of themselves to advance the causes of justice,
opportunity, and prosperity. As we celebrate the legacy of those who
made enormous strides in the last century and before, we renew our
commitment to hold true to the dreams for which they fought, and we look
forward to a bright future for our Nation's daughters.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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, 2011, as
Women's Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States to
celebrate the achievements of women and recommit ourselves to the goal
of gender equality in this country.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day
of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA