One hundred years ago, women won the right to vote. Suffragettes endured arrests and imprisonment in squalid workhouses where they were brutalized and force-fed. Over the decades, women have honored these pioneering efforts by consistently turning out to vote in higher numbers than men. Their participation at the polls and in civic affairs has helped change attitudes and promote a more inclusive society, awakening public awareness to injustices and disparate treatment in the home and in the workplace.
Female voters overwhelmingly believe that women, more than men, possess the leadership qualities of getting things done, solving problems, building a better future and fighting for ordinary Americans that Washington and our state houses sorely need. 2018 saw a record number of women elected to Congress, as well as to lower offices across the country. Most were Democrats. The number of Republican women in Congress declined and more women are leaving the party led by Trump.
Suffrage gave women a voice and greater ammunition to make a difference on every level. This has been made more urgent by the ongoing pandemic and the fact that the next election will be critical to our nation’s future. Americans will have the opportunity to elect competent leaders who will be charged with guiding our nation’s recovery and implementing safe, smart and effective policies to restart our stalled economy and prevent future outbreaks of this devastating virus. We must make good choices. In 1920, women won the right to vote. Don’t waste it.
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