WASHINGTON, March 8, 2019 – Today, the American Bar Association joins the world in marking International Women’s Day – a day to reflect on our progress to date, to call for further and faster change, and to honor women and girls everywhere who are making history by overcoming barriers, challenging the status quo, and blazing trails to ensure equality for all.
There is much to celebrate this year. Record numbers of women are serving in Congress, part of a global trend towards more women leaders in government. We are seeing major progress towards ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, after years of inaction. In addition, in August, we will begin a year-long celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
Yet much remains to be done. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report — which examines gender disparity across politics, work, health and education — found that at the current pace on average it will take 108 years for women to reach overall parity. The report also concludes that achieving pay parity will take another 202 years. We cannot wait that long.
Lawyers around the globe, men and women alike, have a vital role to play in effecting the necessary change. The ABA continues its commitment to gender equality in the law and in all aspects of life.
With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.