Obama Lauds The Trailblazers On Women's Equality Day

President Barack Obama, a self-proclaimed feminist, touted women’s role as “leaders at the forefront of progress” in his presidential proclamation recognizing Women’s Equality Day.

Proclaimed annually on Aug. 26 by the president of the United States, Women’s Equality Day honors the suffragists and activists who fought for and eventually realized women’s right to vote. The 19th Amendment, which grants that right, was certified as law on Aug. 26, 1920.

“Today, as we celebrate the anniversary of this hard-won achievement and pay tribute to the trailblazers and suffragists who moved us closer to a more just and prosperous future, we resolve to protect this constitutional right and pledge to continue fighting for equality for women and girls,” the president wrote.

While Women’s Equality Day began as a celebration of women gaining an equal voice in the voting booth, the annual holiday has come to stand for women’s fight for equality on a range of issues.

Obama recapped his administration’s contributions to that fight, from signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and pushing for lower health care premiums for women through the Affordable Care Act, to hosting forums for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and putting on the first United State of Women Summit earlier this year. He called for action on issues that greatly affect women, such as domestic violence, campus sexual assault, abortion access and discrimination and violence against the transgender community.

“On Women’s Equality Day, as we recognize the accomplishments that so many women fought so hard to achieve, we rededicate ourselves to tackling the challenges that remain and expanding opportunity for women and girls everywhere,” Obama wrote.

Read the full proclamation here.