Women’s History Month Essay Contest

As a woman who is passionate about public service and engaging women in civic life, I am delighted to sponsor a project that celebrates the life of one of New Jersey’s greatest advocates of women’s rights.  The 2010 induction of Alice Paul into the New Jersey Hall of Fame presents us with the opportunity to examine her life, learn about the ideals that fueled her passion, and explore avenues for continuing her legacy. 

 

Topic:             Discuss a specific event or accomplishment of Alice Paul’s life that is significant to you. If you had the opportunity to create a project to continue Alice Paul's legacy here in South Plainfield, what would that project be and how would you implement it?

Length:          500-750 words

Eligibility:      South Plainfield residents in grades 9-12

Resources:    Internet Resources: You are not restricted to these sources, but the following websites may be helpful:

The Alice Paul Institute: http://www.alicepaul.org/

NJ Women's History: http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/njwomenshistory/

The National Women's History Project: http://www.nwhp.org/

 

Deadline:       March 26, 2010

Grand Prize: The winner will receive a $250 American Express gift card, a copy of Past and Promise, Lives of New Jersey Women, & be recognized in the local newspaper.  The winner will be chosen by committee and informed on or before March 28^th.

Submit to:     Chrissy Buteas, Councilwoman

Borough of South Plainfield

2480 Plainfield Avenue

South Plainfield, NJ 07080

christinebuteas@comcast.net

Please include name, address, grade, phone number, and email address.

 

Women’s History Month, now celebrated annually in the United States, is a month long celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society.  Please join me in celebrating women’s history and advancement in the United States of America.

Alice Paul was the architect of some of the most outstanding political achievements on behalf of women in the 20^th century. Born on January 11, 1885 to Quaker parents in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, Alice Paul dedicated her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all women. She founded the National Woman’s Party in 1914 and led the first picketers to the White House gates in the name of women’s suffrage. When women won the right to vote in 1920, Paul turned her focus to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) which she authored in 1923. She worked for women’s rights internationally and founded the World Woman’s Party in 1938 with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Paul then succeeded in getting a sexual discrimination clause written into Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.  She lobbied Representatives to pass the ERA from her wheelchair in a nursing home in Moorestown, until her death in 1977.  Though the ERA never passed, her legacy lives on through the work of the Alice Paul Institute. (Alice Paul Institute)