MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA -- Before the 19th Amendment was certified on Aug. 26, 1920, women’s right to vote was non-existent in America.
Things have changed a lot since then.
On Sept. 2, 95 years since that historic date, Marines, Sailors and civilians recognized the journey women have taken and celebrated their accomplishments throughout history during a Women’s Equality Day event at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
The celebration on Women’s Equality Day means a lot more than a women’s right to vote. The day signifies society’s desire to value what an individual brings, rather than what the individual is, explained Master Sgt. Arlene Collins, an equal opportunity advisor with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Women’s Equality Day denotes time that was not spent in vain by all the women in our military and in history who have come a long way, said Collins. It is beneficial to celebrate the day that the hard work of all women is recognized by the rest of the country.
Women should think of this day as a milestone in our history and appreciate that we are able to come together and celebrate this day as a country, said Collins.
“Women’s Equality Day is a day of recognition,” said Michael Q. Arkin, the equal employment manager at the Equal Employment Opportunity Office at Cherry Point. “It memorializes the women who fought for their right to vote.”
“There were a lot of struggles that women had to go through in the past to achieve what they have today, and they all deserve to be honored,” said Arkin.