Please join the City of Goleta this August in recognizing and celebrating two significant days this month: International Day of the Word’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9th and Women’s Equality Day on August 26th.
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is an opportunity to celebrate these communities and their knowledge. Indigenous Peoples live in all regions of the world and own, occupy or use some 22% of global land area. Numbering at least 370-500 million, Indigenous Peoples represent the greater part of the world’s cultural diversity and speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures. Many Indigenous Peoples continue to be confronted with marginalization, extreme poverty and other human rights violations.
2023’s theme for International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is “Indigenous youth as agents of change for self-determination”. The goal is to highlight the role that indigenous youth must occupy in decision-making while recognizing their dedicated efforts in climate action, the search for justice for their people, and the creation of an intergenerational connection that keeps their culture, traditions, and contributions alive.
Women’s Equality Day was first celebrated in 1971 and formally designated by Congress on August 26th, 1973. The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote as a culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women since 1848.
Today, Women’s Equality Day celebrates the achievements of women’s rights activists and reminds us of the unique daily struggles that women face. The holiday also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality. Workplaces, libraries, organizations, and public facilities across the nation participate with Women’s Equality Day programs, displays, video showings, or other activities.
The City of Goleta encourages our Goleta community to join us in the celebration and appreciation of these two important days and recognize their continued perseverance towards equality.