PROCLAMATION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COTATI
PROCLAIMING AUGUST 26, 2026, AS WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY IN COTATI WHEREAS, on August 26, 2026, we mark the 106th anniversary of the enactment of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution which secured the right to vote for women; and
WHEREAS, to secure this right, women were forced to conduct 56 referendum campaigns, 480 campaigns to get legislatures to submit suffrage amendments, 277 campaigns to state party conventions, 19 campaigns to 19 successive Congresses, and get the consent of 36 states, and more; and
WHEREAS, today women constitute roughly 50.1 percent of our workforce, the majority of the students in our colleges and graduate schools, and an increasing number of primary breadwinners; and
WHEREAS, over the past three years, women’s incomes have declined and as of mid2026, women working full time earned 81% of what men earned, down from 85% in 2023; and WHEREAS, even with the gains women had made, women’s role as equal members of our society and their rights are being challenged and reversed in multiple arenas including the fundamental right to vote, access to reproductive health care, and protection from being the subject of personal violence; and
WHEREAS, here in Sonoma County, the Board of Supervisors in 1976, established the Commission on the Status of Women with the express purpose of working to ensure “equal rights and opportunities that enhance the quality of life for all women and girls” and address the “issues of discrimination and prejudice that negatively affect women in Sonoma County;” and WHEREAS, more work remains to be done in many areas that directly impact equal pay for equal work including access to quality affordable childcare, affordable housing, comprehensive healthcare for women, and mental health care.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED on this day of August 25, 2026, by the City Council of the City of Cotati that August 26, 2026 is WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY in the City of Cotati, marking the 106th anniversary of the enactment of the 19th Amendment, celebrating the achievements of women and recommitting to gender equality in Sonoma County, and all women’s fundamental rights.
Approved:_____________________________
Mayor