Editor’s Note: William Colton was elected to the New York State Assembly in November 1996, representing the 47th Assembly District, consisting of the neighborhoods of Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights and Midwood.
With March marking Women’s History Month, it provides the opportunity to reflect upon the strides made by women past and present and the progress still to be made on the path to equality. For example, even in the year 2015, many women still don’t earn equal pay for equal work. In fact, women are making a mere 77 cents for every dollar a man earns and it’s time for this to change. Over the years, New York State has played a leading role in many pivotal events in the fight for equal rights, so we can and should continue leading the way for progress.
Throughout history New Yorkers have long been at the forefront of the women’s equality movement, including both Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, two key figures in the fight for women’s suffrage. Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments for the Seneca Falls Convention, hosted in 1848 to address women’s rights, and both Stanton and Anthony’s efforts were crucial in winning women the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Brooklyn has also been home to many pioneering women. This includes Brooklyn native, Susan Smith McKinney Steward, who in 1870, became the first African-American woman to earn a medical degree in New York State and the third to do so in the country, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who co-founded the Women’s Rights Project to fight gender discrimination and became the second woman on the Supreme Court. Additionally, Sonia Sotomayor, born and raised in the Bronx, was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009, becoming its first Hispanic justice and third female justice.
In 2014 on a local level in the 47th Assembly District, Nancy Tong became the first Asian American to be elected Democratic District Leader in Brooklyn. I had recognized Nancy Tong and several dozen women from our local community who have worked to improve our society. At an awards ceremony, I presented Citations of Honor to these women, who volunteered or worked in a variety of fields, including business, education, humanitarian work, military service, community/civic affairs, health care, government, and volunteering.
Nonetheless, there is still much to be done in securing full and equal rights for women. That’s why I have supported legislation that guarantees essential rights for women, including equal pay for equal work, an end to sexual harassment and family status and pregnancy discrimination in the workplace, stronger human-trafficking laws, and better protections for victims of domestic violence.
As we recognize the many achievements of women, it is also important to continue making progress and recommit ourselves to achieving full equality for women. I look forward to continuing to support legislation and public policies that ensure New York grants women equal opportunities and rights. To learn more about women’s history or women’s equality measures, please contact my office at 718-236-1598 or email me at coltonw@assembly.state.ny.us.
