LANSING, MI — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed August 26 as Women's Equality Day, marking the 105th anniversary of the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote.
"On the 105th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we celebrate Women's Equality Day and honor the generations of brave women who fought for our fundamental rights and freedoms," Whitmer said.
The proclamation comes as Michigan continues to recognize its role as one of the first three states to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1920. The state was home to notable suffragettes including Sojourner Truth, Anna Howard Shaw, Clara Arthur and Lucia Voorhees Grimes.
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, the first woman to hold that position in Michigan history, emphasized the ongoing importance of women's leadership.
"Women's Equality Day is an opportunity to not only reflect on the accomplishments of trailblazing women leaders in our state history—like my predecessor, Eva McCall Hamilton, the first woman to ever serve in the Michigan Legislature—but it also serves as a call-to-action for women leaders today," Brinks said.
During her tenure, Whitmer has appointed more than 1,200 women to boards, commissions and full-time positions. She has also appointed 62 women to judicial positions, representing over half of all judicial appointments made during her term.
The governor has implemented several initiatives supporting women and families, including the Michigan Women's Commission and the Women's Economic Recovery Tour. Her administration has also expanded free pre-K to all four-year-olds regardless of household income, saving families $10,000 per year, and established the Michigan Guarantee making community college free.
Other initiatives include legalizing IVF and surrogacy, launching the Take Control of Your Birth Control Program that provides free contraceptives through 300 facilities across Michigan, and expanding Medicaid coverage for family planning services.
The proclamation also allowed free-standing birth centers to gain licensure, expanding birthing options aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, particularly among Black mothers and children.
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