President Obama on Tuesday will dedicate a new monument on Capitol Hill honoring the women’s suffrage movement and the right to equal pay. The White House said Monday that the monument will testify to the president’s goal of creating a more “inclusive” national park system.
“By honoring the history and accomplishments of the movement for women’s equality, tomorrow’s designation will build on this effort towards a more inclusive National Park System and tell the story of women’s fight for equality for generations to come,” the White House said.
Obama will dedicate the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum as a national monument on Tuesday. The house has been the headquarters of the National Women’s Party since 1929. The party was founded more than ten years earlier to fight for women’s voting rights.
The monument designation will permanently protect the headquarters and museum as one of the oldest standing houses near the U.S. Capitol, the White House said. After the designation, the house will be called the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. The White House adds that in addition to protecting more land and water than any president in history, “President Obama has sought to protect places that are diverse, culturally and historically significant, and that reflect the story of all Americans.”
The designation will also “help preserve an extensive archival collection that documents the history, strategies, tactics and accomplishments of the movement to secure women’s suffrage and equal rights in the United States and across the globe,” according to a White House announcement.
The White House chose Equal Pay Day to do the dedication. The day is celebrated by women’s rights groups. News reports say Obama is expected to address the steps he has taken during his time as president to help women gain equal pay for equal work. “Since taking office, President Obama has made equal pay a top priority and has taken a number of steps to fight for pay equity. In addition to signing his first piece of legislation as President, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act,” the White House said.
