Women's Equality Day has been celebrated annually for over 20 years with a program by a local Dallas women's organization, Women's Issues Network (WIN). Formed in 1980, WIN has continuously worked for women’s rights and equality. The group celebrated the 94th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment allowing women the right to vote with an event at Dallas City Hall.
The program was held on August 20 in the Flag Room on the 6th floor of City Hall. Over 100 women descended upon City Hall wearing white to represent the suffragists who lobbied for women to vote.
Although the Mayor was not able to attend due to recent hip surgery, Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins and councilmembers attended. Atkins and the women councilmembers wore white in support of the gathering.
Keynote speaker was Keven Ann Willey, Vice President and Editorial Page Editor for The Dallas Morning News.
“I wish there were still not so many “firsts” for women,” Keven said. “There is not equality if there are still headlines about “firsts” for women. There is still work to do. Women still trail behind men in the academic suites and there is not a single female CEO in a Fortune 500 company in Texas despite their education.”
Although women's voting rights are taken for granted today, they were earned through a long brutal campaign by women that began in the 1700's and culminated nearly 150 years later when the 19th Amendment was passed on August 26, 1920.
Until that time, women were not allowed the right to own property, to have legal claim to the money they earned, nor the right to vote. Clothes, jewelry, and land were owned by their husbands or fathers. Bibles were one of their few possessions that they could hand down to their children.
“Although 66% of women are registered, only 46% actually vote,” said WIN President Connie Hearn. “The most important thing you can do to initiate change is to vote.”
Among the local notables in attendance was Park Cities resident Virginia Whitehill who was instrumental is starting a women's credit union in Dallas (still in business today!) just so women could get credit on their own. Today it is hard to imagine a time when women had to have their husband's signature to get credit.
Other local notables in attendance were District Attorney Craig Watkins, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, Dallas County Commissioners Dr. Theresa Daniel and Dr. Elba Garcia, Clare Buie Chaney, and filmmakers Cynthia Mondel and Fonya Mondel with Fonya’s two year old son Juan Carlos.
Co-sponsors of the event included League of Women Voters, National Council of Jewish Women-Greater Dallas, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, South East Dallas Business & Professional Women’s Club, Women’s Council of Dallas County, YWCA, and Dallas Women’s Foundation.
Photos by Deborah Brown