August 26th: The Day of Women's Equality

August 26th is nationally recognised in the United States of America as Women's Equality Day, and refers to the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote on the same equal basis as men throughout the country. An extremely shocking fact is that the right for women to vote was first proposed in 1848, but did not become the law until 1920, an entire 72 years later.
    This commemorative day was first introduced in 1971 when Bella Abzug suggested legislation in Congress, thus from then on, every US President has proclaimed the day each year since. In the Joint Resolution of Congress which enables August 26th to be recognised as Women's Equality Day every year, it states that prior to the 19th Amendment, women were treated as second-class citizens and weren't allowed the full rights and privileges that men have. August 26th stands today as a symbol of women's continued struggle for equality in the United States.
   Would you believe:

• that the percentage of women managers has only risen 3% in the last 20 years, making it 38%.
• that as of 2009, men outnumber women 73% vs. 27%  in all sectors employment for science and engineering.
• that women earn a weekly median wage that is only 81% of a man's.
• that the USA only ranked number 19 in the world for gender equality, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report of 2010.
• that the USA still, in 2012, have not had a female President.

Do you think the USA is succeeding in achieving gender equality? Or is it an impossible dream?