Women's Equality Day Archives » Lynda Waddington

21Aug 2017 by Lynda Waddington

Equality coalition names five Women of the Year

Gazette Column

More than 130 local women have been honored over the years in conjunction with Women's Equality Day Women and men will gather Saturday night, on Women’s Equality Day, to add five more women to the ranks of those named Women of the Year. The women, nominated by friends and co-workers, were chosen because of their commitment to improve the lives of area girls and women. Their names will be added to a list of more than 130 who have been honored by the Women’s Equality Coalition of Linn County over the past four decades. Women recognized in 2017 are: [caption id="attachment_1303" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Those chosen as 2017 Women of the Year by the Women's Equality Coalition of Linn County are (beginning top left) Denise Bridges, Barbara Chadwick, Charrisse Cox, Monica Brown Challenger and Eden…

07Aug 2017 by Lynda Waddington

Women’s equality, a work in progress

Gazette Column

Linn County equality coalition adding five to list of Women of the Year Women across the nation will come together this month. They’ll recognize each other, applaud successes and resolve — as so many demonstration signs have more bluntly stated — to continue to fight for equality. Such celebration is an annual event in Linn County and other parts of Iowa, held each Aug. 26 in connection with Women’s Equality Day. That was the day 97 years ago when the 19th Amendment was certified, the culmination of an 80-year battle for women’s suffrage. The fight for the vote was marked, as I’m prone to highlight each year, with derision of the women seeking equality. Editorial boards from coast to coast issued dire warnings of chaos if women were welcomed into…

08Aug 2016 by Lynda Waddington

Let’s celebrate equality in Linn County

Gazette Column

Less than 100 years ago, those who fought for women’s equality were derided as inferior, lazy, oversexed, masculine, childlike and unworthy of consideration. Even now, when a female combat veteran is the first woman to represent Iowa in Congress, and a major political party nominated its first woman for president, it is easy to forget that American women battled for 80 years to earn the right to vote. The 19th Amendment, which took a lifetime to accomplish, is now a lifetime in the past. Yet stereotypes of women as sex objects or puppets to biological and emotional whims persist. It was only four years ago, during the 2012 presidential campaign, that a national news organization announced “something may raise the chances for both presidential candidates that’s totally out of their…

26Aug 2014 by Lynda Waddington

Renewing the promise of Women’s Equality Day

Gazette Column

On this day in 1920, not yet 100 years ago, Congress granted women the right to vote. This day — now celebrated as “Women’s Equality Day” — marks the end of an 80-year campaign for women’s suffrage. While most women, myself included, don’t personally remember the battles fought in earning the right to vote, writings and pictures remain to remind us how difficult change can be, especially for those in positions of power who believe they are being diminished. Those who fought for women to be able to vote were derided as inferior, lazy, oversexed, masculine, childlike and generally unworthy of consideration. Emotions drove the suffragists forward and manipulated them to not only seek a ballot, but to leave husbands and children behind. If women were successful in this endeavor,…