Monday, August 26th, was celebrated as Women’s Equality Day. Our question is… do women still experience inequality? Have we survived the patriarchy and moved into a time of equality and balance, with each having an equal voice? Rather than celebrate the day mindlessly, we would like to look into this commemoration to celebrate victories and acknowledge issues that may continue.
At AMS Fulfillment, we do have a very good balance in management, with a slight percentage in favor of women. AMS has its share of smart, strong, hard-working women and smart, strong, hard-working men in leadership and we’re a successful business, so we would venture to say that women’s equality can be found here. And we’re grateful for that!
AMS is committed to practice DE&I, which means we want a workforce that reflects the diversity of our country and our community, we want equity in pay and in responsibility, and we want to include individuals who may have been excluded in the past. We will talk more about DE&I and JEDI, but first let’s look at history up to the present.
The History of Human Rights
We recall, some years ago, an advertisement campaign encouraging women to smoke cigarettes, declaring… “We’ve come a long way.” Today we know that women’s equality is not measured by our right to cigarettes!! Let’s look at the reality.
We’ll begin with some information from the US Department of Interior [LINK], published on the centennial of the 19th amendment, which was 2020.
“Changing the Constitution was a lengthy and complicated struggle and began in 1848 with the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The Seneca Falls Convention had more than 300 attendees, including organizers Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. The meeting launched the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and it was where the rights of American women were outlined in the Declaration of Sentiments and signed by 68 women and 32 men, including Frederick Douglass.
“Even though the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, many women of color were unable to exercise their right to vote. Though these women rallied alongside white suffragists, many women of color remained disenfranchised until the mid-20th century: Native American women (1924); Chinese American women (1943); and Japanese and other Asian American women (1952). As late as 1962, some states still prevented women of color from voting on contrived grounds, such as literacy tests, poll taxes, voting ID requirements, intimidation, and claims regarding the legitimacy of residence were all obstacles. It was not until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 45 years after the enactment of the 19th Amendment, that Black women were able to exercise this right without restrictions.
“The struggle for Women’s Suffrage was only the first step toward equality for women. Even though women have made great strides towards equity, diversity, and full inclusion the fight for equal pay continues. While women are paid less than men, women of color are often paid even less. Yet, in virtually every sector of our society, women are significant contributors to enriching life experiences in the United States. Their resolve, innovation, leadership, passion, and compassion have changed the world and continue to inspire future generations of women.”
Our Growth as a Nation
While the reality of inequality may burden our hearts, we do have a great deal to appreciate. When this country was founded, upon an inspiring Bill of Rights and Constitution, the reality was that these rights were granted only to white men of means who were landowners. Still, over the decades and centuries the People saw to it that slavery ended, the right to own property and vote was granted to women, and eventually to all. We HAVE come a long way, not with regard to smoking, but with regard to equal rights for every citizen of this country. And the growth is still embraced – we want every human being, no matter the sex, no matter the ethnicity, no matter the history – every human being must enjoy freedom and equality.
Our Growth as a Business
At AMS, our dedication to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion speaks to efforts to work within our community to hire individuals who experience obstacles to gainful employment. We hire individuals with disabilities, persons who are suffering homelessness, single parents, persons who are burdened with a prison record – AMS works with organizations in the community, and we have done so for years. In addition, we offer free, on the clock training and higher education to all of our employees and we are delighted that many employees take advantage of this offering.
JEDI refers to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, so basically JEDI adds Justice to the mix. Who among us does not want Justice, in the way we are hired, in the way we are promoted, and in the way we are paid? Justice is not only a beautiful word… it is a beautiful reality when enacted. As the Department of the Interior asserted, women of color are still facing injustice in the workforce and we are committed completely to justice in our hiring and promotion – for all people of color, both men and women.
As we reach the end of August, 2024, we salute the People of the United States for the ongoing efforts to create a just world, for all. Women’s Equality Day, August 26th, allows us to review our history and re-commit to true equality for everyone. At AMS, we live it and we’re so glad that we do.
Let’s Conclude with a Story
Contemplating this subject, we ran across a story on Facebook. We’d like to share the story of Cecilia Payne with readers and attribute it to the writer, Nana Nti Boakye.
“Since her death in 1979, the woman who unveiled the fundamental composition of the universe has remained largely unrecognized. Her legacy is marked only by a commemorative plaque on a university wall, with her groundbreaking discovery scarcely mentioned in her obituary. Every high school student knows that Isaac Newton discovered gravity, Charles Darwin explained evolution, and Albert Einstein formulated the theory of relativity. Yet, when it comes to the composition of the universe, textbooks merely state that hydrogen is the most abundant atom, without acknowledging the person behind this crucial discovery. That person was Cecilia Payne.
“Cecilia Payne authored what is considered one of the most brilliant doctoral theses ever written in the field of astronomy. Ironically, her journey in science began with opposition from her own mother, who deemed it a waste of money for a woman to pursue higher education. Undeterred, Payne earned a scholarship to Cambridge, where she completed her studies. However, because she was a woman, Cambridge refused to grant her a degree. Determined to continue her work, she moved to the United States and joined Harvard, where she became the first person to earn a doctorate in astronomy from Radcliffe College. Otto Strauve, a respected astronomer, described her thesis as “the most brilliant doctoral thesis ever written in astronomy.”
“Cecilia Payne not only discovered the composition of the sun but also laid the foundation for the study of variable stars. Her contributions to astronomy were monumental, yet she is not celebrated with the respect and recognition she deserves. She was the first woman to be promoted to professor at Harvard, a remarkable achievement that, even today, is often overlooked.
“This brief text serves as a tribute to Cecilia Payne, the woman who discovered what stars are made of, and whose legacy should be remembered with the honor and respect befitting her contributions to science.”
** ** **
AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.
