LANSING – In pledging her commitment to fight for legislation that helps our working families and moves Michigan forward, State Representative Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) today announced she is joining women across the state and country in commemorating Women's Equality Day 2007.
"Michigan has come a long way since 1918, when an amendment to the State Constitution granted women the right to vote," Ebli said. "Women today are leaders in science, law, business, politics, and every field in between. But we still have work to do to ensure that we reach a day of full equality on every level. That's why my colleagues in the House and I continue to champion legislation – such as our plan to crack down on wage discrimination – to strengthen the status of women in our state."
Ebli in April announced a plan to set down penalties for wage discrimination and create legal avenues to pursue those who deprive workers of their right to equal pay for equal work. Advancing the plan is just one example of the strong commitment Ebli has demonstrated this legislative session to make Michigan a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Designated by Congress in 1971, Women's Equality Day commemorates the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that granted women the right to vote in the United States. The observance is held Aug. 26 every year.
Ebli paid homage to the legacy of some of the state's most groundbreaking women, starting with Cora R. Anderson, for whom the AndersonHouseOfficeBuilding is named. In 1925, Anderson achieved several firsts: She became the first woman elected to the Michigan House, and historians believe she is the only Native American woman elected to the State Legislature.
The long list of Michigan women with remarkable achievements includes:
· Cora Mae Brown, who in 1952 became the state's first African-American female Senator – and who, a year later, was elected to Senate President.
· Erma Henderson, a social worker who in 1972 became the first African-American woman to serve on Detroit's City Council.
· Alice Chaney, who in 1900 became the first female ship captain on the Great Lakes.
· Anna Sutherland Bissell, who by the 1890s had pushed the Bissell carpet sweeper into the international marketplace, leaving her mark as a successful businesswoman in the male-dominated manufacturing industry.