Last Sunday marked the 87th anniversary of the day that the U.S. Constitution was amended to grant women the right to vote. American women now comprise more than half our nation's voting age population, but the struggle to become full participants in the political life of the country has yet to be fully realized.

The 19th Amendment was hard fought. First initiated after the Seneca Falls women's rights convention in July 1848, the struggle for the adoption of the amendment dragged on for more than 70 years. The initiators of the amendment never lived to see voting privileges extended to women.

During World War I, the National Women's Party began to increase pressure on the White House and Congress to pass the 19th Amendment. In 1917, they began a daily silent vigil outside the White House that continued for three years. Many of the women were jailed. While in jail the women were force-fed, held in solitary confinement and were near the brink of death. But the women stood strong and united. In the end, their efforts were successful. On Aug. 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, and women were guaranteed the right to vote.

The anniversary of the 19th Amendment, Women's Equality Day, provided us with an opportunity to reflect with pride on the progress made on voting rights in the past 87 years.

This year, we've witnessed a number of remarkable milestones for women. For the first time, a female has been elected speaker of the House of Representatives, and a major, viable contender for the 2008 presidential election is a woman.

However, these achievements do not mark the end of our journey. In communities across the country, citizens still lack real representation by their elected officials and the policies they pass. In North Dakota, only 17 percent of the state legislators are women. It is only with the continued work of citizens and leaders of all backgrounds that this can change. It is crucial that we continue to engage more citizens in the democratic process on every level.

Sunday was a time to celebrate progress, but also a time to look to what still needs to be done to make democracy work for all Americans. The North Dakota Women's Network and the League of Women Voters will continue hands-on work leading to a better democracy for all.

(Stromme is executive director of the North Dakota Women's Network, and Osteen is president of the League of Women Voters, Bismarck-Mandan. - Editor)