During my seven years in D.C., Sewall-Belmont House has been a special place for me. It was where I learned the history of the suffrage movement, where friends held part-time jobs as docents, and where I’ve gathered to celebrate today’s women leaders that are carrying the torch.
I am not alone in these experiences. Women of all ages, with similar fond memories of the Sewall-Belmont House, came to a public hearing just last week to stand up for HERstory -- to stand up for the protection of the Sewall-Belmont House, the historic home of the National Woman’s Party and the home of the U.S. women’s suffrage movement.
Now, this house has marked history yet again. President Barack Obama has proclaimed it the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument to honor the movement for women’s equality
The National Woman's Party was formed in 1916 to move the state-based fight for women's suffrage to a national level with the aim of getting a constitutional amendment. They launched their campaign with a march down Pennsylvania Avenue on the eve of President Wilson's inauguration and continued the fight until the amendment was fully ratified seven years later.
Now, 100 years later, the fight continues. In proclaiming April 12, 2016 National Equal Pay Day, President Obama stated, “Together, we must rid our society of the injustice that is pay discrimination and restore the promise that is the right of every American: the idea that with hard work, anyone can reach for their dreams and know no limits but the scope of their aspirations.”
The Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument honors the brave women who stood up and for equality and changed the world. Join us in thanking President Obama for recognizing this piece of history. Then let us carry that commitment forward, and let us do it together.