Constitutional Amendment Extending the Right of Suffrage to Women, 1919, National Archives
Women’s Equality Day commemorates the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This amendment was passed by the U.S. Congress on June 4, 1919, ratified on August 18, 1920, and certified on August 26, 1920. The amendment prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the U.S. on the basis of sex. The day was first celebrated in 1971 but is not recognized as an official U.S. federal holiday.