Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, is an opportunity to reflect on how much we have accomplished and how far we still have to go.

Each year on August 26, we remember the long struggle and ultimate victory to grant women the ability to exercise their self-determination by having the equal right to cast a vote for the candidate whom they believe will best serve them and their families. Today we recognize that we must continue to do so much more to ensure that all women have the full capacity to make the best decisions for the course of their lives and for the future of their families.

We must address current economic injustices in the workplace and health care access disparities which disproportionately affect women. Women still suffer from overt and institutional discrimination in the workplace. Many women still lack access to paid parental leave, paid sick leave, affordable child care, job opportunities in all fields, equitable pay and the full range of reproductive health care, including contraceptive and abortion care, without which a woman does not have full equality to determine her future.

In light of recent attacks on women’s health care across the nation, I encourage Eastside leaders to redouble their efforts to stand with women by supporting them with policies that ensure their equal participation in our economy and democracy.

Catherine Minch, Redmond, past NARAL Pro-Choice Washington Board President