With a woman running for president, we often forget that the 19th Amendment was ratified less than 100 years ago.
But in a powerful new video created for Lenny Letter, we hear the voices of women in their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond recount the blatant sexism they encountered growing up in a different era and why that makes it all the more important for women today to cast their ballots.
“It gave me a voice,” said 85-year-old Ellen Linsley, remembering the first time she ever voted.
These women ― who lived through the presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower ― recalled being told to become homemakers and to aspire to less than their male counterparts.
“My three brothers all became doctors and I was told I was to marry a Jewish doctor,” said Suzanne Altfeld, 78.
While women today still have to fight for equality in the workplace ― and to have reproductive rights and more ― it’s clear we’ve made at least some progress in shattering gender stereotypes.
And now with the first woman having a shot at leading the country, it’s absolutely critical that we exercise the right to vote, instead of taking it for granted.
“We have a chance to be up there,” said Jackie Armstrong, 68.
Indeed.
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