Letter: At the forefront of the 19th Amendment and women's rights

Letter to the Editor:
In 2019, we have 65 women in the Illinois General Assembly, 110 women in the U.S. Congress and 74 women in statewide elective executive posts. Locally in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, from alderman to school boards to village president, many women hold elected positions.

This historic number of women in government didn’t happen overnight. This representation is possible through the hard work, diligence, and dedication of many advocates.

Illinois has long stood for women. On June 10, 1919, Illinois became the first state in the U.S. to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that would give women the right to vote. Illinois has always stood at the forefront of women’s rights, being the first state to have a statewide Suffrage organization; the Illinois Woman Suffrage Association was established in 1869. And in 1913, Illinois enacted the Presidential Suffrage Bill, which gave Illinois women the right to vote in federal and municipal elections.

Today, we celebrate the work of the women and men of Illinois who have and continue to help us raise the voices and the rights of women in Illinois.

Submitted by President Laurie Rose
League of Women Voters of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Area
P.O. Box 645
Lake Forest, IL 60045
contact@lwv-lflb.org
www.lwv-lflb.org

The League of Women Voters was founded in Chicago on February 14, 1920