CTNG Celebrates Women’s Equality Day on the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

Photo By Timothy Koster | Soldiers and Airmen from the Connecticut National Guard watch a documentary about the 'Hello Girls', a group of women who served as telephone operators in World War I and their struggle to achieve veteran status for decades following the war, during a Women's Equality Day event at the Gov. William A. O'Neill Armory in Hartford, Conn. Aug. 26, 2020. Women’s Equality Day was founded on Aug. 26 1972 when former President Richard Nixon issued Proclamation 4147 which designated that day to be celebrated annually in commemoration of the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which prohibits the states and federal government from denying the right to vote to any of its citizens on the basis of sex.  

HARTFORD, CT, UNITED STATES

08.26.2020

Story by Timothy Koster 

Connecticut National Guard Public Affairs Office

HARTFORD, Conn. – Soldiers and Airmen of the Connecticut National Guard celebrated Women’s Equality Day, and the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th amendment, with a presentation highlighting women’s history in the military and the state at the Gov. William A. O’Neill Armory, here, Aug. 26, 2020.

The event was hosted by the CTNG’s equal opportunity office in partnership with the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and touched upon some important historical figures who were vital to the Women’s Suffrage Movement and giving women the right to serve alongside men in the armed services.

“I think women have made great contributions to the military,” said U.S. Army Master Sgt. John Noone, state equal opportunity employment manager and organizer of the event. “This was an opportunity to show others that, given the opportunity, women have shown what they’re capable of doing and what they’re willing to contribute [to the military].”

The event consisted of two presentations. The first was a pre-recorded lecture by Sarah Lubarsky, executive director for the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, showcasing prominent figures in with Women’s Suffrage Movement from throughout Connecticut. The second was the showing of a documentary about the ‘Hello Girls’, a group of women who served as telephone operators in World War I and their struggle to achieve veteran status for decades after the war.

Women’s Equality Day was founded on Aug. 26 1972 when former President Richard Nixon issued Proclamation 4147 which designated that day to be celebrated annually in commemoration of the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which prohibits the states and federal government from denying the right to vote to any of its citizens on the basis of sex.

Due to force protection and social distancing restrictions, the Connecticut National Guard’s Equal Employment Opportunity office plans to schedule showings of this presentation at other armories around the state to help continue share the stories of these important women in our state’s and military’s history.

• Date Taken: 08.26.2020
• Date Posted: 08.26.2020 16:29
• Story ID: 376863
• Location: HARTFORD, CT, US