GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Goodfellow members celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees women the right to vote at the event center, here, Aug. 26.
Attendees gathered and talked about how far society and the military has come since gaining the right to vote in 1920, not just in women’s rights, but also in diversity and inclusion across multiple fields.
Discussions were about females in the military and the civilian world. How far women and the military have come and some issues that still need to be improved.
“I have seen the good and the bad in the military from a female’s perspective,” said Staff Sgt. Sabrina Scruggs, 315th Training Squadron instructor. “I feel like the key to seeing change is pointing out respectfully when something is not appropriate.”
The fight for women’s suffrage began nearly a hundred years before the 19th Amendment was finally ratified.
It was through considerate, hard work and several strategies that women of the National American Woman Suffrage Association were finally granted the right to vote across the United States on August 18, 1920. On Nov. 2, over eight million women in the United States voted for the first time.
“Sometimes we forget to focus on the positive,” said Master Sgt. Kristy Simon, 315th Training Squadron first sergeant. “Sometimes instead of focusing on the issues, we need to look at how far we have come.”