Worth more then rubies

Angela Guiao
MSMU Class of 2021

(8/2020) My entire life, I have been surrounded by strong women. The first is my mother. A single mother, she pushed herself to provide a happy life for me. She sacrificed without question. She never let me see her weak. She showed me what determination is and how hard work could help me accomplish my dreams.

My aunts were the same. Though they were thousands of miles away in the Philippines, I watched how they were able to build themselves a life from nothing. How they were able to put my cousins through school, all the way through university. How they fought every step of the way until they succeeded in their goals. They never gave up.

I grew up reading stories written by Jane Austen and poems by Maya Angelou. I was obsessed with Amelia Earhart, and constantly reminded of the work of Mother Theresa. As I grew older, I learned of the importance of action. Evident in the achievements of Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, and Ida B. Wells.

My knowledge of such influential women inspired me to take advantage of my opportunities, to appreciate the freedom to speak, to move, to decide, and to vote.

Susan B. Anthony was born on February 15, 1820. Though she was a white woman, from a young age she displayed a mindset far ahead of her time, having participated in collecting anti-slavery signatures from the age of 17.

As she grew older, she slowly became more and more involved in equal rights, focusing especially on the women’s suffrage movement. She eventually became President of the National American Women Suffrage Association, an organization she co-founded, and helped pave the way to granting women the right to vote.

On August 18, 1920, almost 100 years ago, the 19th amendment was passed granting women the right to vote. This amendment was passed 14 years after Susan B. Anthony had passed away from heart failure.

Eventually, the 19th amendment started also being referred to as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment in honor of all her hard work and contributions to the fight for women’s equal rights.

Susan B. Anthony’s hard work and activism gave women the right to vote. It gave them a choice whereas before it was simply impossible. Her involvement established a foundation for other strong women leaders to advocate and fight for their rights. For more rights.

She began a fight that women are still fighting today.

If I am being completely honest, not many people I know vote.

I don’t think many people understand how important their vote is. It is easy to look at the size of America, or even your city and think to yourself, "My vote doesn’t matter". However, it does. Especially, our voice as women matter.

According to statista.com, in 2019 there were a little more than 168 million females compared to 161million males in the United States. Since the US Census Bureau estimated a total population a little higher than 329 million in 2019, that would mean women make up approximately 51% of the population.

Yet, in a society where there are relatively the same number of women as men, the disparity between the rights a woman has in comparison to a man is rather remarkable. We cannot let everything that women before us spent years fighting for go to waste.

We need to continue to fight. Fight to be heard. Fight to be respected. Fight to be equal.

Though the work of Susan B. Anthony occurred 100 years ago, her ideals and vision of a woman’s role in society is still relevant.

"I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand." -Susan B. Anthony

Women’s rights are a continuous and pertinent discussion in politics today. Women are continuing to make themselves heard. With many notable women’s rights movements occurring in the world today such as the Women’s March and the Feminist movement, many women are devoting their time to advocating women empowerment.

It was because of women like Susan B. Anthony who showed me the strength behind being a woman. It was women like her who taught me not be afraid. To embrace who I am and the traits I bring. It was women like her who taught me not to lessen myself for other people but to take my strengths and let them empower me.

As a college student. It is easy to feel unimportant. We’re young, inexperienced. In a world filled with people much more qualified and wiser than us, it is easy to think that our voice is not as loud or not worth listening to.

But Susan B. Anthony started her career in advocacy at the age of 17. She continued fighting the fight consistently until she co-founded one of the leading women’s suffrage foundations. Her work eventually led to winning the right for women’s rights.

My voice can make a difference. It is never too early to start advocating for the things that I believe in, for the movements that I connect to. My voice does matter. It can and will be heard.

Susan B. Anthony showed me what it meant to truly fight for something you believe in. She and all the women activists that played a part in making the world better for women give me hope that I too can make a difference. I hope one day to emulate the characteristics that made her and so many others so strong and worthy of leadership.

Because of her, I know that one day I will leave my own impact onto the world. I know not to silence myself or to allow my rights to be decided on by those who know nothing about me. I know not to conform to expectations because that is what has always been done or because I am too afraid to be belittled.

Every single voice is important. Every single voice matters. Every single voice can continue the fight.

Read other articles by Angela Tongohan