On Aug. 26, 1920, Congress certified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting woman across the entire nation the right to vote. Fifty-one years later, that day, which marked the culmination of a 72-year fight for equality, was designated as national Women’s Equality Day.
In celebration of this year’s Women’s Equality Day, the University of Idaho Women’s Center will hold a FEMFest fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, at the Idaho Commons Plaza. The event is free and open to the public.
“Students, staff, faculty, community members are all welcome to come participate in the event,” said Bekah MillerMacPhee, assistant director of programs for the Women’s Center. “This is Women’s Equality Day, but we do also of course welcome men and non-gender conforming folks to come and celebrate with us.”
MillerMacPhee said aside from celebrating, the Women’s Center hopes to inform students of their presence at the UI.
“Our goals are to let students, staff and faculty know that we’re on campus,” MillerMacPhee said.
Director of the Women’s Center, Lysa Salsbury, said students are often hesitant to reach out to the Women’s Center, particularly if they don’t identify as women, and that FEMFest gives them the opportunity to change those perceptions.
“We want to just let people know that this place is for everybody,” Salsbury said. “We’re a safe and comfortable and welcoming space, and everyone should feel included here and welcome here, and there is a way for everyone to get involved.”
Twenty tables representing student organizations, community organizations and UI Departments will be featured at the event.
In addition to informing students about their work, MillerMacPhee said the tables will hand out stickers to each student that comes by, which can be entered into a raffle for feminist notecards, t-shirts, various gift cards and Vandal swag.
MillerMacPhee said the League of Women Voters will also help students register for the organization and aid them through the process.
Those efforts are particularly personal for Salsbury, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1993 and became a naturalized citizen two years ago.
“For 22 years I lived here and didn’t have a voice in my adopted country’s electoral process, which is hard,” Salsbury said. “I just want to encourage everybody to exercise that right and to use it wisely and to really participate.”
The Women’s Center will not host any outside speakers, however, MillerMacPhee said Salsbury will give a short talk about the work of women in the past to achieve the right to vote and the progress which should continue moving forward.
“We like to commemorate a history that has paved the road we’re currently on” she said. “(The road) that we’re able to walk on now, that allows us vote and have rights and have our own credit cards and make our own decisions, as women.”
Ian Hahn can be reached at [email protected]
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