Early Activists
Early women’s rights activists believed advocacy to be the most effective means to change an unjust system. In 1920, the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote that in turn afforded women advancement in property rights, employment and educational opportunities, divorce and child custody laws and increased social freedoms. The early 1900s saw a successful push for the vote through a coalition of suffragists, temperance groups, reform-minded politicians, and women's social welfare organizations.
If you think a woman’s vote doesn’t have power, think again!
Women’s votes decide elections.
Take a look at these statistics from an online women’s advocacy group:
- When compared to married men, married women and unmarried men, single women are the largest demographic group that under registers and under votes in this country. There were almost 22 million unmarried women who were eligible to vote in 2000 but did not.
- Single women are more likely to describe themselves as “progressive” and are more often pro-choice. Furthermore, the tide is turning; single women are aggressively seeking change in this country and believe the country is “going in the wrong direction.”
- If single women participated in the electoral process at the same rates as either average voters or their married sisters, they would dramatically change the outcomes of elections and the course of this country.
What YOU Can Do Now
Women working together can create a powerful community of voters that can change this country for the better. There are a number of organizations that can help you register to vote online. For more information on how to register to vote or to submit an absentee ballot, contact the Lake County Clerk's office.
The most important role in any democracy is that of citizen. REGISTER to vote. EDUCATE yourself on the people and issues. And, most importantly, EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT by voting in all elections.
