News

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 5, 2025) – Last night, in a monumental first for women, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed into law the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act, which authorizes the first and only monument dedicated to American women’s history to be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Since 2022, Dr. Jill Biden has served as Honorary Chair of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation alongside Mrs. Melania Trump, Mrs. Michelle Obama, Mrs. Laura Bush, and Secretary Hillary Clinton.

“Yesterday, I was proud to sign into law the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act, authorizing the placement of a monument honoring the women’s suffrage movement on the National Mall,” said President Biden. “In addition to commemorating the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Women’s Suffrage National Monument will recognize the generations of women who fought to ensure an equal voice for women in our democracy and honor the leaders who fought for the enfranchisement of all women long after the 19th Amendment was ratified.”

With the passage of this historic legislation, the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation will begin the work of selecting the monument’s permanent location on the National Mall. Constitution Gardens – the area of the National Mall centrally located between the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, and the White House – is the preferred location for the new memorial. 

Anna Laymon, President and CEO of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation, added, “We extend our deepest gratitude to President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, whose continued support for the Women’s Suffrage National Monument has ensured that the achievements of our foremothers will finally be woven into the stories told on the National Mall. Because of our champions in the White House, Congress, and every corner of this great country, the National Mall – our Nation’s most visited National Park – will soon be transformed.”

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ABOUT THE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT FOUNDATION
The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation was authorized by Congress in Public Law 116-217 to lead the effort to fund, design, develop, and construct the Women's Suffrage National Monument on the National Mall. The monument will make visible the role of our foremothers in building, securing, and expanding our democracy; celebrate the suffragists' patriotism and resilience; and inspire a continued investment in America's constitutional promise of freedom, justice, and equality for all. For more information visit www.womensmonument.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SUPPORT
The Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation is driven by the generous financial support of our donors. Like most monuments and memorials, the Women's Suffrage National Monument will be funded in its entirety through private donations, and we need your support to tell the stories of generations of women who waged and won the battle for the ballot. Simply put, we can't do this without you. Learn more about our movement, donate, and be a part of history.

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Media Contacts:

Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation Media Contact
Kimberly Wallner
media@womensmonument.org