PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB)– On this day in history, the 19th Amendment was officially adopted and added to the U.S. Constitution, officially granting women the right to vote. The amendment was the culmination of more than 70 years of struggle by women suffragists.
By gaining the right to vote, women were able to make their voices heard in the realm of public policy.
“Women make up around 50 percent of the electorate population, so women’s voices are very important to decision making,” said Shelley Clark, President of Bay County Women League of Voters.
Former Bay District School Board member, Ginger Littleton, said she’s thankful for the women that paved the way before her, and eventually gave her the right to hold public office.
“A democracy only works well if things are done with us (women), all together,” said Littleton.
Even though conditions for women are drastically different than they were a hundred years ago, Littleton said things were not always easy for her being surrounded by male counterparts that did not always see her perspective.
Former Bay County Tax collector, Peggy Brannon, said she faced similar challenges.
“I had several people that told me that they would not vote for a woman running for office, and that was not that long ago,” Brannon said.
And things continue to change, especially in this election year.
“We continue to celebrate milestones, and of course this year we have a black woman on the presidential ticket as the Vice Presidential candidate,” Clark said.
While the women acknowledge that much progress has been made toward female equality, they expressed that the fight is not yet over, and more still needs to be done.
“There’s never been a more important time, to identify who we are and what we believe in, so please cast your ballot on November 3rd,” Clark said.