Democracy without women is incomplete

The history of women's struggle for voting rights, suffrage, is long. It is a historical path littered with personal sacrifices, physical violence, legal repercussions, mental and emotional strain, delayed justice and prolonged struggles. Despite significant costs, the suffrage movement achieved monumental successes, expanding democratic participation and laying the groundwork for on-going struggles for equality and civil rights all across the world.

Equality is a treatment that does not mean everyone is the same but everyone deserves and should be given an equal opportunity. The concept becomes complete when we combine equity with equality that means devising a strategy and a practice which supports and justifies the idea of making special provisions (considering the differences). The history of women’s equality is a long and complex journey that spans centuries and encompasses a wide range of social, political, and economic struggles as the status of women varied from place to place.

In this fight for women's equality there have been tremendous contributions of several women leaders like Christine de Pizan and Mary Wollstonecraft who advocated for women’s education and intellectual equality, Mary Astell who argued for women's rights within marriage and education, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott who were instrumental in fighting legal inequality especially the right to vote. The fight for women’s suffrage picked its pace in the late 19th century while countries like New Zealand and Australia were the first to grant voting rights to women in 1893 and 1902 respectively.

World history marked the major suffrage victories across the world. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. constitution in 1920 granted American women the right to vote. In the UK, the Representation of People Act 1918 extended the vote to women over 30, with full suffrage achieved in 1928. Likewise during world wars, women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers leading to shifts in societal views about gender roles. Influenced by the global suffrage movements, Indian women began to demand greater rights and freedom in the British colonial rule.

Educated women started to engage in public life, advocating for education and social reform and for voting rights especially by the women delegation led by Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant, and Margeret Cousins while Madras became the first province to grant voting rights to women in 1921 though the right was limited to property-owning women. Later, upon gaining Independence from British rule in 1947, India adopted a new constitution which came into effect on January 26, 1950.

The constitution of India guaranteed universal adult suffrage, meaning that all citizens, regardless of gender, caste, religion, or education, had the right to vote marking the achievement of full suffrage rights for Indian women.

The Women’s Equality Day was designated to be celebrated on August 26 every year to commemorate the 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the U.S on the basis of sex hence entitling women the right to vote at the behest of Rep. Bella Abzug in 1971 and passed in 1973, the U.S. Congress designated this day as women's equality day. The day calls attention to women's continuing efforts towards full equality.

This concept resonates globally including India where the fight for women's rights has deep historical roots. This day recognized the contributions of pioneering women like Sarojini Naidu, Savitribai Phule, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay who played crucial roles in advocating for women's rights in various fields. India has gained a significant positive development in gender equality and this day is an opportunity to celebrate these achievements and the progress made.

This day is important for raising awareness of the ongoing issues of gender based violence and gender discrimination in the country serving as an important platform to empower women and girls in India, encouraging them to assert their right, pursue education and career opportunities and participate fully in the society

Events and discussions held on this day can inspire generations of women leaders and can lead our country towards a better future with the participation of every single individual in nation building.