Women’s Equality Day in the Mahoning Valley
This Women’s Equality Day, the Mahoning Valley showed up. Over 100 of us gathered to celebrate the women who fought for the right to vote, and to remind ourselves that the fight for equality is not behind us — it’s right here, right now.
We stood on the shoulders of the suffragists who risked everything to be heard, and we carried their courage into today’s battles. They fought for a voice at the ballot box, and now it’s on us to fight for so much more:
Abortion access – the right to control our own bodies and make our own choices is under direct attack.
Healthcare – too many women are denied affordable, quality care, especially women of color and low-income women.
Equal pay – women still earn less than men for the same work, and the wage gap widens for women of color.
Freedom of speech and safety – women’s voices are silenced, threatened, or dismissed far too often.
Workplace rights – from paid family leave to protections against harassment, the fight for dignity at work is far from over.
Representation – women, especially women of color, are still underrepresented in leadership and decision-making roles.
These aren’t just “issues.” They are our lives, our futures, and our freedoms.
At the rally, the energy was undeniable. People held signs high, voices echoed through the crowd, and conversations sparked about how we keep building, keep resisting, and keep demanding better. It wasn’t just about remembering history — it was about making it.
Women’s Equality Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder that we are not done. Women are still carrying the weight of unfinished promises, still demanding dignities we deserve, and still uniting across generations to make sure the fight moves forward.
The Mahoning Valley showed what solidarity looks like: community members coming together, refusing to be silent, and standing shoulder to shoulder for justice.
This is our moment. And together, we rise.
