Today is International Women's Day, a day where the world collectively honors and uplifts the political, economic, scientific, and creative achievements of women across the world and across cultures.
It's a day to celebrate. But this celebration was born out of struggle, and today I want to talk about that struggle because it's just as relevant now as it was then.
The idea for International Women's Day was inspired by protest when 15,000 women workers – mostly immigrants – marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay, an end to child labor, and the right to vote.
This protest was inspired by another protest 50 years earlier when thousands of women textile workers marched through the streets of New York demanding better working conditions in the factories.
I want to honor these struggles, and pay respects to the bold women who paved the way because this struggle is not over.
We see it in the ongoing fight for equal pay and higher wages for jobs disproportionately done by women, including caregivers, teachers, and nurses.
It's in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, as our country still has yet to protect folks from workplace and housing discrimination simply for loving who they love.
It's in the ongoing struggle for reproductive justice and to protect the fundamental right to abortion, as the Supreme Court threatens to tear it down.
We still see it in the fight for universal pre-K and affordable childcare. Women, even as they are expected to work full-time, are still overwhelmingly doing the job of raising children. Universal pre-K and access to affordable childcare are critical to level the playing field.
We see the women's struggle in voting rights, as state legislatures across the country place egregious obstacles on exercising the right to vote. Women – especially women of color – are the ones who've been on the front lines demanding equitable access to the ballot box.
That's why today, on International Women's Day, I am doubling-down on my commitment to fight for these policies in Congress. I am doubling-down on my commitment to women, LGBTQ+, non-binary, and women-identifying folks everywhere.
