What the 19th Amendment Means to Us

As this election season continues to gear up, we are celebrating one of 2020’s greatest milestones: the 100-year anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment guaranteed women’s right to vote in the US. (But it’s important to know that many women of color were not fully guaranteed this right until the Voting Act of 1965.) The 19th Amendment’s ratification came after more than 70 years of women and men campaigning to convince both political parties to support it. Suffragettes made themselves heard with marches, lobbying, and even hunger strikes to secure the voting rights we enjoy today.

On this important anniversary, the TTM team is reflecting on what it means to us. Take a look at some of our thoughts below - and keep reading to learn more about a special project we launched to honor the amendment.

Why the 19th Amendment Matters to Team TTM

“The 19th Amendment means that I have the opportunity to help shape the future of our country - and the world - through my vote.  It means that my voice is just as valuable at the ballot box as anyone else’s - and that I will exercise that right in honor of everyone who fought to win that freedom for me.” - Jane

“The 19th Amendment was an important step forward in creating equality for all Americans and reminds us of the power we have to create change.” - Danielle

“The 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment reminds me of how lucky I am to have been born in a country and an era where I have the right to vote. Fortunately, in all democracies today, all women now have the right to vote. However, this has only been the case since 2015 for some places, and there still remain restrictions on women to actually make it to the polls and to vote freely. So, for those of us who can vote, we definitely should!! We should also work to help women everywhere to enjoy this right and privilege.” -Kristiane

“As a young Portuguese woman, the 19th Amendment and women's suffrage for me is extremely important. Portugal and the United States followed a similar path to voting equality. The United States had partial suffrage for women with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 and full suffrage actualised in 1965 (when women of all races were finally allowed to vote). In Portugal, conditional women's suffrage was granted in the 1930s and all restrictions on women to vote were lifted in the 1970s (when women of all levels of education were finally allowed to vote). Present day, I am privileged to live in a society where I am free to vote and have a voice, in a world where unfortunately a lot of girls and women are still not allowed such a fundamental human right.” - Mariana

“As I reflect on the 19th Amendment, the quote from Susan B. Anthony comes to mind: ‘Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.’ It’s a great privilege to be able to exercise my right to vote and I am grateful for all of those that have come before me to help create and protect our rights for democracy in our country.” - Cindy

“In the 2018 election, a woman standing next to me in line at the polls said, ‘People died for this. I don’t mind waiting in line for a few minutes.’ Her words stuck with me these last two years, and I hope they always do. I hope I never take for granted that I have the opportunity to even stand in a voting line at all. Remembering that many women before me did not have this right - and fought so hard so that we would have it today - keeps me motivated to always use my voice.” - Claire

TTM’s Limited Edition 19th Amendment Scarf

To mark this occasion, we partnered with a group of fantastic makers to create a  limited edition silk scarf. These beauties are ethically made in a women-owned and operated factory in India, with $15 of each purchase donated to women’s organizations.

So far, the making of these scarves has created 100 hours of fair wage work for our talented female makers. To us, sharing economic opportunity (and in turn, a voice) with our sisters around the world is the perfect way to celebrate this amendment. If you’d like to grab a scarf for yourself,  you can pre-order one here.