On Aug. 26, 1920, Congress certified the 19th
Amendment to the Constitution, granting woman across
the entire nation the right to vote. Fifty-one years later,
that day, which marked the culmination of a 72-year fight
for equality, was designated as national Women’s
Equality Day.
In celebration of this year’s Women’s Equality Day, the
University of Idaho Women’s Center will hold a FEMFest
fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, at the Idaho Commons
Plaza. The event is free and open to the public.
“Students, staff, faculty, community members are all
welcome to come participate in the event,” said Bekah
MillerMacPhee, assistant director of programs for the
Women’s Center. “This is Women’s Equality Day, but we
do also of course welcome men and non-gender
conforming folks to come and celebrate with us.”
MillerMacPhee said aside from celebrating, the Women’sCenter hopes to inform students of their presence at the
UI.
“Our goals are to let students, staff and faculty know
that we’re on campus,” MillerMacPhee said.
Director of the Women’s Center, Lysa Salsbury, said
students are often hesitant to reach out to the Women’s
Center, particularly if they don’t identify as women, and
that FEMFest gives them the opportunity to change
those perceptions.
“We want to just let people know that this place is for
everybody,” Salsbury said. “We’re a safe and
comfortable and welcoming space, and everyone should
feel included here and welcome here, and there is a way
for everyone to get involved.”
Twenty tables representing student organizations,
community organizations and UI Departments will be
featured at the event.
In addition to informing students about their work,
MillerMacPhee said the tables will hand out stickers to
each student that comes by, which can be entered into a
raffle for feminist notecards, t-shirts, various gift cards
and Vandal swag.
MillerMacPhee said the League of Women Voters will
also help students register for the organization and aid
them through the process.
Those efforts are particularly personal for Salsbury, who
emigrated to the U.S. in 1993 and became a naturalized
citizen two years ago.
“For 22 years I lived here and didn’t have a voice in myadopted country’s electoral process, which is hard,”
Salsbury said. “I just want to encourage everybody to
exercise that right and to use it wisely and to really
participate.”
The Women’s Center will not host any outside speakers,
however, MillerMacPhee said Salsbury will give a short
talk about the work of women in the past to achieve the
right to vote and the progress which should continue
moving forward.
“We like to commemorate a history that has paved the
road we’re currently on” she said. “(The road) that we’re
able to walk on now, that allows us vote and have rights
and have our own credit cards and make our own
decisions, as women.”