Women’s Equality Day 2025: Momentum, Not a Finish Line

On August 26, 1920, women in the United States won the right to vote when the 19th Amendment was certified into law. In the backdrop of a nation that under the current government administration struggles to even have a discussion about equity or equality, it is important to look at these historical events as we both celebrate and ask the harder questions. This includes why have words like equity, diversity and equality become on the “do not use” list.

Let’s start with the facts.

·       The 19^th Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.

·       My grandmother was born in 1918 and in that year, her mother, my great grandmother could not vote in some states or elections just because they she was born as a female.

·       In the United States, women make up about 50.42% of the population.

·       “Sex” in this context is NOT just female, but both male and female; therefore, men can’t be denied the right to vote either just because they are males.

In 2025, Women’s Equality Day, marks 105 years since passing the 19^th amendment.  Where can we keep building momentum and where are we still stuck?

If history teaches us anything, it’s that equality is not a single finish line. It’s a series of mile markers along a marathon—progress is measured in forward steps, but also in how we recover from the stumbles.

Equality vs. Equity: The Subtle but Crucial Distinction

In my book, Men-In-The-Middle: Conversation to  I choose to use the word equity with intentionality. In corporate settings, we talk a lot about “equality.” Everyone gets the same opportunity. Sounds good, right? But what we’ve learned is that sameness doesn’t guarantee fairness. Equality hands everyone the same pair of shoes, regardless of foot size. Equity makes sure the shoes actually fit.

That’s why Women’s Equality Day matters in 2025. It’s a reminder that representation alone isn’t enough. A woman in the room isn’t the same as a woman’s voice being heard, valued, and acted upon.

Early in my career I was often the only woman, in a meeting, in the office, on a company plane and more. In a very similar theme, at a point in my son-in-law’s career, he was the only male teacher for his grade and in his building. There are professions that tend to lean toward a certain gender and inclusion is the effort to make all voices heard.

The Silent Majority and Gender Equity’s Future

When I wrote Men-in-the-Middle: Conversations to Gain Momentum with Gender Equity’s Silent Majority, I focused on the “silent majority” of men who support gender equity but aren’t sure how to engage or speak about it. That’s the undercurrent of today’s equality conversation: how do we turn supportive bystanders into active allies?

The data tells us the appetite is there. More than 60% of men report supporting gender equity in the workplace, yet fewer than half feel confident in how to show up as allies. That gap—the one between belief and behavior—is where momentum is either gained or lost.

Women’s Equality Day is not just about women. It’s about building bridges. It’s about engaging the people in the middle—the ones who may not march in rallies but will sit in boardrooms, classrooms, and breakrooms where real change is negotiated every day. When I interviewed men about gender equity, many spoke about wives and daughters who experienced some sort of inequitable treatment solely based on their sex; a daughter who got passed over for a promotion because she “might” have a baby soon or a wife who got told she would be downsized because the men in that same department had kids to feed and relied on them to make money.  

Beyond Symbols to Systems

Sometimes a name or nickname can give something a bad rap. So, do we celebrate Women’s Equality Day or the day the 19^th Amendment past that builds momentum toward treating people equally based on sex?  While they symbolically represent the same thing, in our current political environment, they can mean two very distinct thigs; Women’s Equality Day, to some may imply special treatment for women vs celebrating day when women got recognized with the right to vote, the same right that men have and have had for some time.

While this may seem like the song “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong – you know you say tom-AY-to and I say tom-AH-to – language makes a big different, especially when the stakes are high. Symbolic gestures matter too; a hashtag, a panel, or a pink cupcake in the breakroom may spark awareness—but change requires establishing a common ground and systems to support the change.

·      COMMON GROUND is about finding areas where we agree vs disagree. While a rare minority percentage of people might only want one “sex” to vote, even after 100 years, the majority agree that people, men and women, have the right to vote.

Then we create the process.

·      Conversations – safe places to have discussions and ask questions to make sure each party understands the ask, the reason and the why.

·      Policies that support pay equity, parental leave, and career advancement for men and women.

·      Practices that elevate women into decision-making roles, not just support roles. I would add that also for men in female dominated careers.

·      Partnerships where men and women co-create solutions, instead of women carrying the load alone. Equity is a leadership issue, not a gender issue.

Symbols inspire. Systems sustain. We need both.

Why 2025 Feels Different

This year, Women’s Equality Day lands in a moment of cultural tension. Political debates about women’s rights, workplace policies under economic pressure, and shifting generational expectations all collide in real time.

But tension isn’t always bad. Tension is energy. It can break things apart—or it can spark momentum. And if there’s one thing women have proven over the past century, it’s resilience in turning tension into transformation.

A Call to Conversation

So, what can you do this Women’s Equality Day or kick off this day and follow up on the days following.

• Ask one question. “Whose voice is missing here?”

• Start one conversation. With a colleague, a friend, or yes—even that “silent majority” man in your life.

• Make one shift. From awareness to action, from belief to behavior

Final Thought

Women’s Equality Day is not about looking back with nostalgia. It’s about looking forward with resolve. We honor the suffragists not just by remembering their fight, but by continuing it—in boardrooms, classrooms, legislatures, and living rooms.

It’s not about arrival. It’s about momentum.