June 17th was an exciting day for women’s rights! On this day in 1873, Susan B. Anthony was standing trial for a heinous crime: she had attempted to vote in the previous November’s presidential election. The judge ruled against her and she was ordered to pay a $100 fine. But Anthony used the conviction to her advantage, distributing copies of the court proceedings to fellow activists. She never paid a penny of the fine.

It was also on this day in 1928 that Amelia Earhart began her first trip across the Atlantic Ocean. She was asked aboard as “extra weight,” but the flight made her famous and she was soon being recognized for her own aviation. These events highlight two key issues in the struggle for women’s rights: the right to political participation and the right to work outside the home.

It can be easy to forget how hard won these two rights were. But women weren’t granted the right to vote in the United States until 1920, and there is still more work to do. Libertarians, for whatever reason, are often left out of the discussion on women’s rights. That’s a shame because, as Susan B. Anthony surely knew, it is the state and its overreach, that holds women back more often than not. From a tax system designed to punish dual-earners, to regulatory overkill on contraceptive products, examples abound even today. Thankfully, the Women For Liberty Leadership Summit is coming up on August 1st, and with it, a rare opportunity to discuss and strategize ways to apply the philosophy of liberty to the unique challenges women face.