Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes, Women’s Rights Exhibition Clinton Presidential Center Every day, women speak out to make the world a more just and safe place. They continue what Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton calls “the unfinished business of the 21st century.” This work is neither new, easy, safe, nor quick. Women demanding the vote regularly confronted ingrained, often violent prejudice as they struggled to convince of the ratification of men — who had sole control over their governments — the 19th Amendment to recognize that the ballot belonged to women, as well as men. No matter where women lived, they knew that the right to vote meant more than casting their ballot. It meant their status as equal citizens — their human rights — could no longer be discounted. Even though most women had the right to vote as the century ended, many still fought to have their voices heard. Then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's of the Fourth World Conference proclamation that “women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights” ricocheted around the on Women in Beijing equator and jump started a global movement. Every day, women speak out to make the world a more just and safe place. They continue what Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton calls “the unfinished business of the 21st century.” This work is neither new, easy, safe, nor quick. Women demanding the vote regularly confronted ingrained, often violent prejudice as they struggled to convince men — who had sole control over their governments — to recognize that the ballot belonged to women, as well as men. No matter where women lived, they knew that the right to vote meant more than casting their ballot. It meant their status as equal citizens — their human rights — could no longer be discounted. Even though most women had the right to vote as the century ended, many still fought to have their voices heard. Then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's proclamation that “women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights” ricocheted around the equator and jump started a global movement. The Exhibition: In 2020, the Clinton Presidential Center will commemorate these world-changing events by mounting Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes, Women’s Rights — a vibrant, multimedia exhibit exploring the risks women and their male allies took to win the vote, expand democracy, and elevate human rights. Tracing the story from the early days of slavery until today, the exhibit recounts the struggle to adopt the 19th Amendment, pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and mount a global movement for women’s equality. Student artists bring the narrative forward, into the present, using their work to champion equality, human rights, and the vote. Courtesy of Ralph Appelbaum Associates The Art Quilts: Women’s Voices will be as dynamic as its subject. Just as activists seized every medium at their disposal, this exhibit will feature 18 vibrant, powerful art quilts created especially for this exhibit by world-renowned artists. This intricate art form incorporates stitching, photographs, painting, and text to augment the artifacts, documents, and video used throughout the exhibit. Together, these contemporary works of art along with historic artifacts give voice to those who hazarded all they had to advance human rights and secure the vote. Courtesy of Hollis Chatelain Courtesy of Shin-hee Chin Courtesy of Michael Cummings The Exhibition: In 2020, the Clinton Presidential Center will commemorate these world-changing events by mounting Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes, Women’s Rights — a vibrant, multimedia exhibit exploring the risks women and their male allies took to win the vote, expand democracy, and elevate human rights. Tracing the story from the early days of slavery until today, the exhibit recounts the struggle to adopt the 19th Amendment, pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and mount a global movement for women’s equality. Student artists bring the narrative forward, into the present, using their work to champion equality, human rights, and the vote. Courtesy of Ralph Appelbaum Associates The Art Quilts: Women’s Voices will be as dynamic as its subject. Just as activists seized every medium at their disposal, this exhibit will feature 18 vibrant, powerful art quilts created especially for this exhibit by world-renowned artists. This intricate art form incorporates stitching, photographs, painting, and text to augment the artifacts, documents, and video used throughout the exhibit. Together, these contemporary works of art along with historic artifacts give voice to those who hazarded all they had to advance human rights and secure the vote. Courtesy of Hollis Chatelain Courtesy of Shin-hee Chin Courtesy of Michael Cummings “If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all.” Hillary Rodham Clinton September 5, 1995 About the Clinton Presidential Center: Since 2004, more than 4.9 million visitors – including 435,000 students who tour at no charge – have experienced the Clinton Presidential Center. Funding for student tours is made possible through the generous support of Clinton Center Members and Clinton Foundation donors. The Clinton Center offers a unique perspective of the work – past, present, and future – of the 42nd President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton. It also provides year-round educational and cultural opportunities to visitors of all ages that reflect President Clinton’s lifetime commitment to advancing opportunity for everybody, instilling responsibility throughout our society, and cultivating a sense of community within our great nation. Image Credits: Front: Women March in a Suffragette Parade in Washington, D.C., ca. 1913. Courtesy of the National Archives Prepared by Ralph Appelbaum Associates.