Hamilton County celebrates women in politics
The Hamilton County Republican Women celebrated “A Century of Women’s Suffrage” and honored local history-making female elected officials at the group’s annual membership meeting on Thursday. The meeting was held at GAI Consultants, 9998 Crosspoint Blvd., Suite 110, Fishers.
To help celebrate, there was an “Art Walk” with six local female artists provided by the Fishers Art Council, performing artist, Olivia Landes, from the Fishers Music Academy, and delicious food provided by Nameless Catering Company.
Suffragette History
Women first organized and collectively fought for suffrage at the national level in the mid-1800s. In the following decades, women marched, petitioned and lobbied. By the 1870s, women started pressuring Congress to vote on an amendment that would recognize their suffrage rights. This amendment was sometimes known as the Susan B. Anthony amendment and became the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Indiana women were involved in the fight for women’s rights from the early days of the movement. In October 1851, Amanda Way organized a convention in Dublin, Ind., with the purpose of advocating for women’s social, economic and political rights.
After the convention, women formed the Indiana Woman’s Rights Association, one of the nation’s first statewide organizations dedicated to the cause of women. Indiana suffragists then increased their efforts towards passage of the 19th Amendment. In 1918, they collected over 700,000 signatures on a petition sent to Congress in favor of the amendment.
The amendment reads:
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”
The State of Indiana was one of the original 36 states to ratify the 19th Amendment on Jan. 16, 1920. And here we are over 200 years later, celebrating the accomplishments of those history-making women.
Numerous works from six local female artists were featured at the event. (Reporter photo by Denise Moe)
Women in Office
Today, women hold 126 seats in Congress, including Hamilton County’s member of Congress, Susan Brooks.
A total of 91 women hold statewide elected office, including Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Auditor Tera Klutz, Secretary of State Connie Lawson, Treasurer Kelly Mitchell, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick.
Locally, women are well represented, with Senator Victoria Spartz and Representative Donna Schaibley. (And of course, long-serving Representative Kathy Richardson Williams, who is now serving as the County Clerk.)
Hamilton County has 68 elected female officials out of 184 total people in office, including Auditor Robin Mills, Recorder Jennifer Hayden, Treasurer Jennifer Templeton, Assessor Robin Ward, Commissioner Christine Altman and Councilor Amy Massillamany.
Hamilton County’s two largest cities, Carmel and Fishers, now have female leadership teams on their city councils with Cecilia Coble as President and Selina Stoller as Vice President of the Fishers City Council, and Laura Campbell as President and Sue Finkam as Vice President of the Carmel City Council.
All of Hamilton County’s city and town clerks and clerk-treasures are women.