ALT Illustration of women of many races wearing voting buttons. What is Women's Equality Day? Women's equality day commemorates the signing of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. But in practice, women of color were excluded from this right. “While we celebrate the 19th amendment we should also celebrate the 1965 Voting Rights Act that made the amendment a reality for millions of black women.” - Deborah Gray White, Professor of History and Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University