Alice Scott Abbott

Flagler County

Alma Lee Loy

Indian River County

Thelma Waters

Martin County

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The Florida Commission on the Status of Women

FCSW is a non-partisan body with a focus on raising awareness and celebrating the contributions and successes of all Floridians, along with providing a collaborative platform for those seeking information on issues that affect women, girls and their families in our state.

Our goal is to provide communication, promotion, and collaboration among the hundreds of organizations working in all 67 counties that are focused on the welfare of the women of Florida. We are all interested in improving the well-being of Florida women and girls – and by extension, all Floridians. In doing so, we strive to be a resource for lawmakers, businesses, and residents so they have a better understanding of these important issues.

Florida Celebrates Women’s Suffrage Centennial

2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which enfranchises US citizens regardless of sex. For 70 years, women throughout the United States had petitioned at the state and national levels for their right to vote, and on August 18, 1920, US women won a huge battle with the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Work was still left to ensure voting rights for all women, especially in the Jim Crow south, and Women of Color would not see full legal voting rights and protections until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and subsequent legislation. Notwithstanding, the passage of the 19th Amendment is a monumental moment in US history, and this historic centennial offers an unparalleled opportunity to commemorate a milestone of our democracy. The Florida 2020 Women’s Suffrage Centennial Collaborative, a non-partisan collaboration of women-centered institutions, organizations, and scholars from across Florida worked to ensure that this anniversary, and the journey to achieve it, were commemorated and celebrated throughout the state. See all the ways we commemorated and celebrated the centennial of women’s suffrage and the women who fought for their rights. Visit floridasuffrage100.org for more.