Clad in royal purples and crisp whites, dozens of women filled Live Oak Pavilion C and D on Aug. 26 for FAU’s third annual Women’s Equality Day Celebration. The event celebrated the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in 1920.
Attendees wore purple and white like the suffragettes of the late 19th and early 20th century, who fought for women’s voting rights.
Guest speaker, Judith Selzer, felt women have made great advancements since 1920. “There are more women in office and voting, and FAU has a woman president: Mary Jane Saunders,” she said. Selzer is a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast.
Palm Beach County’s League of Women Voter’s president,
Joan Karp, on the other hand, thought there was still ways to go. “There is disparity in job salaries. Women are expected to be in home with the kids.” When asked what could be done for change, she said, “Make it consistent so that men and women have equal rights.”
Other guest speakers included Palm Beach Post reporter Rhonda Swan, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher and state representative Lori Berman.
FAU student Ercilia Messon also attended the ceremony. She felt the role of women at FAU was “encouraging,” and mentioned that it was better for women in politics now.
“Under a political lens, it’s great, but de facto, not so great. We have very far more laws and rights, but as a society, we’re still the same. Women struggled to better themselves. Society has not.”
