Sen. Joan Lovely Helps Celebrate Women's Equality Day

SALEM, MA — State Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem) stressed the importance of electing more women to statewide office and the legislature as she helped celebrate the anniversary of women's suffrage at a Women's Equality Day event at the Boston Public Gardens alongside Massachusetts Women's Legislative Caucus co-chair Rep. Pat Haddad and other community members.

The 19th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution on Aug. 26, 2020, after a 72-plus-year battle for enfranchisement. Because of coronavirus restrictions, many of last year's centennial recognitions had to be postponed or curtailed.

"We are up to 62 women in the legislature now — it is a record," Lovely noted on this year's anniversary. "But I will tell you, over the hundreds of years of the Massachusetts Legislature, there have been over 20,000 men and 219 women. We need to grow these ranks and that's what we are focusing on, which is why it's so appropriate to be here today to talk about votes for women."

During her opening remarks, Suffrage100MA Founder and President Fredie Kay highlighted the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, recently adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives, which she said is a critical piece of legislation that fills the gap left by the U.S. Supreme Court decision gutting previous voting protections.

Kay said the John Lewis Act is an essential tool to fight racial discrimination in voting.

The bill is now in the U.S. Senate and Kay urged attendees to advocate for its passage.

Lovely outlined other objectives she is working on at the State House this session to help protect and enhance the lives of women in the commonwealth.

"We're working on COVID-19's disparate impact on women," she said. "We're working on health access and racial disparities. We're working on postpartum depression — maternal mental health is actually the No. 1 complication in pregnancy, and it affects men as well.

"And our third strategic priority is empowering women in government, and that's why we are here today."

Kay said it was validating for Suffrage100A to have Lovely and Haddad among those at the Public Gardens event.

"Rep. Haddad, Sen. Lovely and our other distinguished speakers are tireless champions for women and voting rights, and we are honored that they are joining us to commemorate Women's Equality Day and pay tribute to the legacy of three suffragists, whose voices were critical in passing the 19th Amendment," she said.

Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)