Letter: League of Women Voters lauds progress for women in government

In 2019, we have 65 women in the Illinois General Assembly, 110 women in the U.S. Congress and 74 women in statewide elective executive posts. 

 

From the Homewood Flossmoor Area, we have seven women serving as trustees on city councils. We have eight women serving as library board members. We have three women serving as H-F Park District commissioners. We have seven women serving as elementary school board members, and we have four women serving as high school board members. 

 

This historic number of women in government didn’t happen overnight.  This representation is possible through the hard work, diligence and dedication of many advocates.

 

Illinois has long stood for women. On June 10, 1919, Illinois became the first state in the U.S. to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which would give women the right to vote. 

 

Illinois has always stood at the forefront of women’s rights, being the first state to have a statewide suffrage organization; the Illinois Woman Suffrage Association was established in 1869. And in 1913, Illinois enacted the Presidential Suffrage Bill which gave Illinois women the right to vote in federal and municipal elections.

 

Today, we celebrate the work of the women and men of Illinois who have and continue to help us raise the voices and the rights of women in Illinois.