LWV Statement on President Biden's Women's Equality Day Proclamation

WASHINGTON — Today, League of Women Voters of the United States Board President Dr. Deborah Ann Turner issued the following statement in response to President Biden's proclamation on Women's Equality Day, 2021:

“We commend the President for delivering a message of equality today, and we especially thank him for lifting up the lives and work of suffragists of color, who continued to fight for their rights decades after the 19^th Amendment was passed.

“We applaud the President’s affirmation of the Equal Rights Amendment ‘to enshrine the principle of gender equality in our Constitution.’ The ERA has passed all the tests and cleared all the hurdles. It is time for Congress to remove the ratification timeline and include equality of the sexes in our Constitution.

“The President’s proclamation acknowledged the voting barriers faced by women of color still today — a problem that has a clear solution in the For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. President Biden has once again given the American people beautiful words, but no clear action. He must bring lawmakers together on these two vital pieces of voting rights legislation. He must use the full influence of his office to protect and expand the freedom to vote for the women he recognizes today.

“Thank you, President Biden, for proclaiming women’s equality today. The League is eager to see the Biden administration stand true on these words in the fight for equality.”

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PRESS CONTACT: Kayla Vix | 202-809-9668 | [email protected]