Celebrating Women's Suffrage Through Civic Engagement

July 2020

Civil & Human Rights

Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, Inc., celebrates the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote and reaffirms its historic commitment to encourage individual and collective civic engagement.

The women and men of the suffrage movement risked their freedom, physical safety, and relationships with family and community, earning women the vote and fundamentally reshaping women’s role in society. Hadassah honors their courage and perseverance – a true example of the Power of Women Who Do – which continues to inspire advocates to this day.

Hadassah is a proud part of the movement to register women voters and to mobilize a record-breaking number of eligible women to cast ballots in 2020. Hadassah supports all efforts to ensure that each eligible person can vote safely and without impediments. With 40 percent or more of eligible voters not participating in recent elections, the non-partisan #HadassahVotes initiative goes beyond registration to emphasize planning and committing to vote.

Through digital and in-person engagement, Hadassah members will learn and educate others about the #HadassahVotes Checklist: Register/verify registration; make a plan for Election Day or learn about early and mail-in voting options; find your polling place, hours, and ID requirements or request an absentee ballot; commit and set a reminder to vote; spread the word and encourage others.

In honor of the fight for women’s suffrage, Hadassah calls on all members, Associates, and supporters to participate in the range of Hadassah’s civic engagement opportunities:

  • Meet with legislators – face-to-face or virtually – through Day in the District, Day on the Hill, and Date with the State programs.
  • Send messages to elected officials via the online National Action Center.
  • Participate in and promote #HadassahVotes 2020

Hadassah's Policy Statements represent the organization's official stance on a wide variety of issues facing our nation, Israel and other international matters of concern. Policy Statements are debated and voted on at national meetings by Hadassah’s national board and delegates from our membership. Once approved, statements become official policies of the organization and serve to define Hadassah's overall agenda and advocacy priorities. Hadassah, as a charitable organization classified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, is prohibited from any direct or indirect support of, or opposition to, candidates for public office.