Updated article March 8, 2023
On March 8, charities, academic institutions, government entities, professional organizations, and businesses worldwide recognize and celebrate International Women’s Day. This global day celebrates women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equity.
It began in 1911, and over a century later, it continues to inspire people to celebrate the achievements of women in history and advocate for greater gender parity. In America, several critical milestones in the fight include:
- 1890—Wyoming becomes the first state to allow women to vote in all elections.
- 1900—The last of the states passed legislation giving married women the right to keep the money they earned and own property in their name.
- 1920—The 19th Amendment is ratified, ensuring all women have the right to vote.
- 1963—Congress passes the Equal Pay Act, promising comparable wages for the same work, no matter someone’s race, religion, or gender.
- 1964—Congress approves Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, barring sex discrimination on the job. They also create the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- 1972—Title IX of the Education Amendment prohibits gender discrimination for any educational program receiving federal support.
Embracing women’s equity in the legal profession
The 2023 International Women’s Day theme is “embrace equity” and is supported by several missions. At Ramos & Law, we celebrate women at work in the legal profession and their mission to forge inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive.
Notable American women in law
Incredible milestones from millions of women in America shape the history of law. Unfortunately, many women are not in our history books, but we owe each of them our gratitude. Some of the documented firsts for women in law include:
- Margaret Brent arrived in the colonies in 1638 and was the first woman recorded to practice law in America.
- Lucy Terry Prince was the first African-American woman to argue a case before a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
- In the 1840s, women began to qualify for ‘reading law’ and providing legal services at the city and county levels.
- On March 3, 1879, Belva Lockwood became the first woman admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court.
Since then, countless trailblazing women have joined the legal profession and the fight for gender equity. A few include:
- In 1981, almost a century after Lockwood’s recognition, Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman on the United States Supreme Court.
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a powerhouse who served as the United States Supreme Court Justice from 1993 to 2020, with a record of fighting against gender inequality. She was the co-developer of the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU and the founder of the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, the first law journal devoted solely to women’s rights.
- Elizabeth Dole is a Harvard Law school graduate who served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor and Transportation and the president of the American Red Cross. In her work as Secretary of Transportation, Dole helped push through legislation requiring all new vehicles to have seat belts and airbags. In addition, when Dole served with the Red Cross, she helped increase safety standards for blood, saving many lives.
- Bella Abzug graduated from Columbia Law School and served as a U.S. Representative. She helped create the National Women’s Political Caucus and the Women’s Environmental Development Organization. Throughout her life, she relentlessly pursued equal rights, regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Workers’ compensation leading women
Ramos & Law couldn’t serve our community without the support of the women on our team, Chinny Law, Gail Bailey, and Monica Jenkins.
Chinny is a partner at Ramos & Law. She advocates for injured workers with empathy, honesty, and integrity. She is known for creating personalized solutions for her clients and maintaining relationships with them well past the resolution of their cases.
Gail is the Legal Administrator and Senior Workers’ Compensation Paralegal at Ramos & Law. She has devoted almost 18 years to helping clients achieve the best results and highest-quality medical care. Working with the attorneys at Ramos & Law, Gail efficiently facilitates the workers’ compensation process, communicates with clients, and assists in executing the client’s personalized litigation plan.
As our receptionist, Monica is often the comforting voice on the other end of the line. She has been with the firm for over three years and plays a valuable part in the client experience.
Our team is grateful for the advancement of women in the legal field, and we recognize the achievements of countless courageous women who have fought for greater gender parity.