PALO ALTO, CA- President Obama honored a pioneer in women’s rights at today’s equal payday ceremony at the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum.
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President Obama used a newly dedicated monument as a platform to push for equal pay. Sewall-Belmont House or the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is the former headquarters for the National Woman’s Party. Obama compared the pay gap to the women’s suffrage movement.
The monument is named after former activist Alva Belmont. She played a huge role in the women’s suffrage movement. In 1913 Belmont established the National Woman’s Party, which helped get the 19th amendment passed. Belmont–Paul’s National Equality Monument is where women wrote more than 600 legal documents.
During his speech Obama made a push for a female president. He didn’t mention whether he is in support of Hillary Clinton but, he believes a female should be elected President one day.
He doesn’t know how long it will take for a female to get elected in office, but he believes it will soon. Obama says he wants young boys and girls to come to the monument to learn how hard women have fought for equality. He looks forward to the day when people will be shocked that there was even a pay gap.
Obama also pushed the Paycheck Fairness Act. The act will protect employers from retaliation if they want to talk about a pay raise. A recent report shows women have to work twice as hard to make what a man made in 2015. Obama says the pay gap will close eventually as the country progresses.
The Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is the ninth national monument that honors women. It is the second monument to recognize a female pioneer in women’s rights.
The first was the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument, which was dedicated in 2013. The National Woman’s Party will be 100 years old in June.
By Angel Johnson
Contributions made by The Washington Post and The Washington Times
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