Women’s Equality Day on August 26th commemorates the certification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. The fight for gender equality is one that continues to this day, with advocates all over the world using their unique voices to promote equality in a variety of industries.
Today’s women pioneer equality in many ways: by breaking into traditionally male-dominated industries and paving the way for future women to thrive. By working to close the pay gap and by promoting greater upward mobility for women in the workforce.
Celebrate Women’s Equality Day by bringing a powerful female speaker to your next event. These renowned speakers on women’s equality are eager to share their unique experiences and insights to foster important dialogues about gender justice, equity, and inclusion. Check out some of the featured speakers whose stories and experiences are sure to inspire your audience this year.
Monica Ramirez, Attorney for Gender Equality
Monica Ramirez has dedicated her life’s work as an attorney to the women’s equality movement, focusing specifically on eliminating gender-based violence and securing gender equity. She is the founder of the first legal project in the United States dedicated to addressing gender discrimination against farmworker women, which later expanded into The Immigrant Women’s Legal Initiative of the Southern Poverty Law Center. In 2014, she founded Justice for Migrant Women, an initiative geared toward providing technical assistance to lawyers, advocates, political leaders, and law enforcement who work on issues that confront migrant women, especially addressing workplace sexual violence.
With over two decades of experience pioneering migrant women’s rights, Ramirez has the knowledge and legal experience to help educate your audience on the future of women’s rights, especially in marginalized communities. Ramirez works at the intersection of immigration, women’s equality, and workplace rights and is thus able to offer a multi-faceted perspective on the women’s rights movement.
Jill Ellis, Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team
Jill Ellis has made huge strides toward gender equality throughout her career. Following the second world championship win in 2019, Ellis became the first coach to win the Women’s World Cup twice. Her motivational attitude can be felt beyond the soccer field and her work as a coach encompasses far more than just the sport itself, including promoting leadership, acceptance, and teamwork.
In an industry traditionally dominated by male perspectives, Ellis has a lot of experience with topics of gender equality. Fighting discrimination in sports and advocating for equal pay for her players, she has done much to change the tides towards greater equality in sports. Let your audience in on the wide world of women’s sports through her compelling stories of the trials and triumphs of being a successful coach.
Meredith Walker, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Smart Girls
Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls is an online community dedicated to helping young people cultivate their authentic selves through promoting inclusivity, positivity, intelligence, and imagination. Meredith Walker gained an interest in assisting young people to connect with themselves through her journalism work at the U.S. State Department Bureau of Culture and Education, where she traveled internationally for research; at Nick News, where she interviewed children all over the country; and at Saturday Night Live, where she met Amy Poehler and ultimately joined forces to Create Smart Girls. Her research and experience over the years have helped to establish her as an expert in advocacy and an authority on the lives of girls, especially in adolescence.
Because of the disparities that still exist in society today, programs that help to bring together and empower young women can have a profound effect on the future of gender equality. With a special focus on adolescent girls, Walker can help your audience understand the importance of starting female empowerment early and remind women just how capable they are at any age, making her one of the top speakers on women’s equality.
Janice Howroyd, Founder and CEO of The ActOne Group
Janice Howroyd is most well-known for being the first African American woman to build and own a billion-dollar brand. The ActOne Group is a global leader in providing customized cutting-edge solutions in the human resources industry. Beyond acting as Founder and CEO, she also works tirelessly as an entrepreneur, educator, ambassador, and mentor, and was a Presidential Special Appointee to President Obama. She has also detailed her story and successes in two books: “The Art of Work” and “Acting Up – Winning in Business and Life Using Down-Home Wisdom.”
There is no doubt that Howroyd is a trailblazer for women’s rights, seen in her undeniable successes despite being in a marginalized position as a Black woman in the predominantly white, male-dominated business world. Her intersectional lens is able to shine a light on what real representation looks like, and how women are able to make their own path forward.
Jamie Margolin, Climate Change Activist
Jamie Margolin is a climate change activist, author, and founder of the youth-led climate action group Zero Hour. She is committed to organizing around climate change, and her book “Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It” serves as a guide to youth activism and how people can take action. She has served as a surrogate for the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential Campaign, speaking at several rallies, as well as acting as a plaintiff on the Our Children’s Youth v. Gov Washington State lawsuit, a case that centers around a lack of livable environment for future generations due to the worsening climate crisis.
Margolin has been a youth activist for years now, but don’t let her age make you think she is any less capable or knowledgeable than those who came before her. Zero Hour has 200+ chapters worldwide and her book has been translated into many languages and sold all over the world. With the climate crisis always at top of mind in this day and age, consider hiring a speaker like Margolin who has the experience and passion to educate and rally your audience behind the possibilities of the future, if we take organization and activism in the climate crisis as seriously as is needed.
These featured speakers offer just a glimpse of the incredible talent and stories that women across all industries have to share about the importance of representation and equality in the workforce and beyond. This Women’s Equality Day, consider bringing your audience a powerful voice to educate, encourage, and empower your audience towards a more equitable future.
