Carrie Chapman Catt would have been proud. In Des Moines last Saturday, women and men marched from Nollen Plaza to the capitol in celebration of Women’s Equality Day. The day marked the 75th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

Unfortunately, the right to vote is often taken for granted. Catt reminded us of the true value of the amendment when she said: “That vote of yours has cost millions of dollars and the lives of thousands of women.” Women owe it to the suffragists, who sacrificed years of time with their families and jobs, to vote each time the opportunity arises.

In addition, we owe it to the suffragists to continue the movement toward equal rights for all women. Even 75 years after the struggle began, women still do not share the same rights with men. In the workplace, women earn approximately 66 cents to each dollar earned by men. And out of 150 seats in the Iowa Legislature, only 27 seats are occupied by women.

The right to vote seems inevitable to us now. Other equality issues should be viewed in the same manner. We should encourage women to vote, to run for political office and to demand equal pay for equal worth, as well as work.

We must continue the fight for equality, which was the the vision of the suffragists, thus giving the next generation something to celebrate.