Women’s Equality Day recognizes the passing of the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote in 1920. As with any rights, they are only as good as our vigilance that holds them in place. Since 1920, women have made strides forward and faced setbacks. In the last year we’ve faced setbacks, leaving many to ask what we can do to remove and, hopefully, move forever beyond them.
Presented by the Huntington Bank, Women of Toledo and UToledo Eberly Center for Women have organized the 4th annual Northwest Ohio Women’s Equality Day Celebration with a community dialogue on the theme: Stay Furious, Build Power. The event takes place August 26, 2022, from 11 am to 1 pm at The Summit, 23 N Summit Street in Downtown Toledo.
What’s going on and how you can attend
Dr. Angie Fitzpatrick, Chairperson at Women of Toledo, described the event as “an opportunity for women and allies in the struggle for women’s equity (or equality?) to come together and talk about the issues that are at the top of our minds right now – and we know that those issues are many.
“We have three speakers who will be delivering short talks that focus on the issues that matter most to them and how they have become advocates for change on those issues, and then we will have time at the tables to talk about what we can do to build power and create change,” she said.
“It’s been a tough summer for women in particular. We’ve seen a number of decisions come down from our Supreme Court that have serious implications for the country we live in. The most significant of those being the Dobbs decision— the rolling back of protections for abortion access. There have been some decisions on gun access that will have a big impact on our communities. We know that women are really concerned about climate change and immigration. There are all these topics that are important. Many times, when we think about women’s equality, we think about the workplace and glass ceilings, but it’s so much more than that.”
Guest Speakers
There are several exciting guests planned for the Equality Day Celebration. As Dr. Fitzpatrick stated, “We’ve invited women community leaders to talk about how we can advance women’s rights in our community. For example, on gun control, women have been at the forefront of those conversations with organizations like Moms Demand Action.
“We will have someone on the main stage, like Tonya Rider from Cold Justice, who is a former instructor at BGSU and a retired Toledo Police Detective. She will be talking about why she’s passionate about issues surrounding gun violence and what she’s been doing to address those issues. This gives women a chance to talk with each other at the event about what they see happening in their communities, what their thoughts are, and come up with ways to move those ideas forward. Erin Martin, who is the founder and director of Solace Health and Wellness, will be speaking on reproductive justice. Reproductive justice covers topics ranging from contraceptives, pelvic floor therapy, and access to midwives and doulas to raising children free from gun violence and contaminated water. Sonia Ramelle from Urban Organics will be discussing environmental sustainability. We will also have a table covering marketplace and workplace equity for the economic empowerment of women.”
Stay Furious, Build Power
Dr. Fitzpatrick spoke frankly about this year’s theme and why it’s important. “I know a lot of women are angry at what’s been going on in the world lately and, if you are, you have every right to be angry, and it’s perfectly reasonable to be angry about these issues. Let’s come together and find a way to address these issues. We are looking forward to this event and being able to build power together.”
To find out more about how to register and buy tickets for this event visit the Women of Toledo website.
