In February of 1980 President Jimmy Carter issued a presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. The proclamation stated: “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”
Each year since, the current president declared a week in March “Women’s History Week,” except for Ronald Reagan in 1987 who declared the month of March Women’s History Month. The Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9, which designated the month of March 1987 as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, U.S. presidents have issued annual proclamations designating the month of March as Women’s History Month. State departments of education also began to encourage celebrations of Women’s History Month as a way to promote equality among the sexes in the classroom.
The National Women’s History Project selects an annual theme. This year it is, “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment.” Two women stand out.
Susan B. Anthony with help from Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the 19th Amendment’s text. The proposed amendment was first introduced in the Senate, colloquially as the “Anthony Amendment,” by Republican Sen. Aaron A. Sargent of California. Sargent, who had met and befriended Anthony on a train ride in 1872, was a dedicated women’s suffrage advocate. He had frequently attempted to insert women’s suffrage provisions into unrelated bills, but did not formally introduce a constitutional amendment until January 1878.
Suffrage means the right to vote. Anthony, Stanton and many other “ansisters” believed that if women had the right to vote, laws would be forged that gave women rights they didn’t have. It’s hard for us to believe that at one time women were considered property of their husbands. If there was a divorce, the women would get nothing and the children “belonged” to the husband. If a woman was given property or gifts from her family at the marriage, it became owned by her husband. Women had to do the will of their husbands, or risked beatings. Now there were some men who believed otherwise — and treated their wives better — and supported women’s suffrage.
Women picketed Congress for the right to vote. Sometimes they were thrown in jail and harmed. Some of the jailed suffragists went on a hunger strike and were painfully force-fed by their captors. President Woodrow Wilson, horrified by the hunger strikes and worried about bad publicity for his term of office, finally agreed to a suffrage amendment in January 1918.
The 19th Amendment, which prohibited state or federal sex-based restrictions on voting, was ratified by sufficient states in 1920, 42 years after it was written. Both Stanton and Anthony had died. But the world has gained greatly from their efforts.
Attention girls, and those who love our girls: We have a way to go. The Equal Rights Amendment was passed in 1972, but it needed 38 of the 50 states to ratify (uphold and endorse) it. That has still not happened. It is not part of our constitution. Hawaii was one of 35 states that did ratify it. It states simply:
Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
Also, consider this: There are 535 people in Congress total. Simple math tells us that less than 19 percent of our representatives are women. Women account for slightly more than 50 percent of the population of the United States. Hawaii has 75 percent. Congressional representation would be more exact if the population was appropriately represented.
Women traditionally have been the ones who maintain and improve humanitarian conditions for the culture. Our culture is changing due to great advances in technology. It is becoming more impersonal. Kids admit that they wouldn’t bully in person, but do it on social media. Budget choices are based on numbers and financial feasibility, rather than true need. We need balance.
I am not saying that a woman is always more humanitarian and a man is less. The goal is for us all to be equally respectful, caring and tech savvy. Native Hawaiians have that tradition.
I believe that most malihini (of foreign origin, guests) were drawn here because of the aloha that is a part of this land and people. I am aware that others don’t or can’t truly understand it, but let’s continue to spread aloha by nurturing it, rewarding it when we see it and speaking up when we see its demeaning opposite. And sometime this month, or maybe every day of it, let’s thank the women who birthed us, taught us, sacrificed for us and believed in us.
• Hale `Opio Kauai convened a support group of adults in our Kaua’i community to “step into the corner” for our teens, to answer questions and give support to youth and their families on a wide variety of issues. Questions: aatkinson@haleopio.org
