Woman suffrage hits 90-year anniversary

Lindsey Wellington can still remember the day she went to vote for the first time.

It was a moment of excitement and pride. It was a moment Wellington cherishes even more as a female political activist.

For Wellington, a sophomore political science major and director of public relations for the College Democrats at UCF, that moment is what has made her participation in politics all the more memorable.

"I think I'm more motivated to do that (work on campaigns) because I can vote," she said.

It was 90 years ago that the 19th amendment was added to the Constitution and women were given the right to vote and subsequently the right to run for office.

It is a right whose impact can be seen in the countless women who have held public office, that there are more women who are registered voters than men, and women have had more of a presence in elections forming groups and organizations to get their issues noticed and recognized.

The history of the 19th amendment is one rife with violence, death and false imprisonment, beginning in the mid-1800s with the woman suffrage movement and finally culminating in the amendment's ratification Aug. 18, 1920.

As vice president of the League of Women Voters of Orange County, Ann Hellmuth has been greatly influenced by the amendment.

At times, however, Hellmuth feels like today's generation of women take the right for granted.

"I think today's generation of women don't even think about it" she said. "It's natural to them, like breathing. And they don't all exercise that right."

Junior Rachel Collins, the secretary for UCF's National Organization for Women shares the sentiment on the lack of awareness of the amendment's importance.

"I think overall that a lot of women and people in general don't really realize that there were women who fought and died and were falsely imprisoned for us to have this right," Collins said.

While the awareness may not be there, women have made a dramatic impact in politics and have great influence on the world of politics today.

This year, for instance, there are more than 40 women running for political office from senator to county commissioner in Florida, according to the Florida Division of Elections website.

Dominique Gelin is a junior political science major and women's caucus chair for the Florida College Democrats.

Gelin notes the change that has come to politics since women have taken a more active role, most notably in campaigns.

"It definitely changed the way campaigns are run," she said. "Women have become target voters in these past elections. The candidates we have this year, especially in Central Florida, we have so many women running."

Women in politics today are also looked at because of the influence of some positions and how women politicians have to deal with issues regarding their gender in relation to being in office.

"The passage of the 19th amendment was another big step in American history toward fulfilling what are the most republican and American values: equal political freedom and representation," said Evan Mateer, chairman of College Republicans at UCF. "This legal advance brought American society closer to compliance with the laws of nature, and allowed women to fully participate in society. Without this amendment, we would be without influential woman voices, as diverse as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin.

"An expansion of democracy towards more full and just representation is a reason for us all to celebrate."

Even with all the success that has come to women and politics, there are still many other areas that women have to gain their full equality and respect in.

But politics is one that women will continue to participate in and influence as long as the 19th amendment stays in effect.