NPS Staff, Leaders Honor Women’s Equality Day
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NPS Staff, Leaders Honor Women’s Equality Day
By MC2 Tom Tonthat
Several NPS faculty and staff rallied at the front steps of Herrmann Hall commemorating Women’s Equality Day, Aug. 23.
Marilyn Owens, an NPS Administrative Support Assistant working in Academic Administration, organized the rally to show support for the struggles that women face to gain equality.
“Women’s Equality Day means staying connected with the trailblazers who fought so hard for women’s rights,” said Owens. “It’s important to keep our voices lifted for the next generation and let them know that we need to push those issues to get better.
“This photo rally was triple the size this year and we had the NPS President, Chief of Staff, and EEO Officer attend. I think their support is going to be important for us as we keep making positive statements and gestures to the community,” she added.
In addition to organizing the group photo, Owens turned the Registrar’s Office service window into a makeshift memory lane highlighting milestones in women’s history and equality.
“I spoke to people who didn’t even know when \Women’s Equality Day was or had little education about it,” said Owens. “Having that memory lane was a good way of providing information and perhaps motivate people to push more information out towards others and grow. If we stand together on important issues, we will succeed in overcoming a lot of obstacles.”
The 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was added to the U.S. Constitution August 26, 1920. Congress designated that date as Women’s Equality Day to honor women and their continuing efforts towards equality in 1971.