Advertisement

5 Ways to Celebrate Women's Equality Day

April Daniels Hussar, SELF magazine

It's hard to imagine, but less than 100 years ago, your opinion on who should be sitting in the Oval Office next January would, by law, be just that -- an opinion. This Sunday, August 26th, marks the 92nd anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote in the United States. That's cause to raise a glass of champagne this weekend to the ladies who came before us and changed our place in history! Here are five more ways to celebrate Women's Equality Day:

Related: Yoga Moves for Flat Abs

1. Make sure you're registered to vote!
If you've moved, need to update your info or just aren't sure if you're already registered, visit the non-partisan website CanIVote.org, which is hosted by the National Association of Secretaries of State. You can also find your polling place, learn how to vote by mail and even get election results.

2. Make a donation to Planned Parenthood.
Women's economic and social advancement goes hand in hand with affordable access to family planning, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. In fact, one in five American women has received care from a Planned Parenthood health center, yet federal funding to this organization has increasingly come under fire (though it's already prevented by federal law from using federal dollars for abortion services).

Related: Foods That Fight Belly Bloat

3. Pay a virtual visit to the online National Women's History Museum (nwhm.org), a site dedicated to illuminating the role of women in transforming society.
For a donation of $35, you can honor the women who have helped shape YOUR life in a really unique way: Their name(s) will be listed in the Roll of Honor and Remembrance, and you can also include biographical information, photographs and remembrances in the online archive, The Chronicle of American Women.

Related: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss

4. Support a girls' sports organization.
Forty years ago, in 1972, President Nixon signed Title IX, also known as the Equal Opportunity in Education Act, into law. Though the Act made no explicit mention of sports, it has become best known for its great expansion of athletic opportunities for women -- and this year's Summer Olympics were proof positive of the impact it has made! However, according to the Women's Sports Foundation, by the age of 14, girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys. Volunteer for your local girls' Little League program or Girls on the Run branch and make a big difference to the next generation of voting women.

5. Meet the honorees of SELF's fifth annual Women Doing Good awards.
Get inspired by the great things these women are doing -- from searching for a cure for paralysis to advocating for HIV and AIDS prevention and education.

More from SELF:
5 Simple Steps to Cellulite-Free Skin
3 CrossFit Total-Body Workouts
50 Healthiest Snacks
6 Secrets to Firing Up Your Metabolism