Trump Issues Proclamation Declaring Saturday As Women's Equality Day

Update: President Trump issued a proclamation Friday afternoon recognizing August 26 as Women's Equality Day.

He wrote, "As we observe Women's Equality Day, commemorating the 19th Amendment, we honor America's female pioneers. These resilient women have inspired countless others to challenge the status quo in order to advance the ultimate American value: that all men and women are created equal. Together, we are creating a Nation where every daughter in America can grow up believing in herself, her future, and following her heart toward the American Dream."

Women's Equality Day is taking place this Saturday, and President Trump has yet to recognize it. Every president since 1973 has recognized August 26 as a day to commemorate the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which officially granted women the right to vote.

It's unclear whether Trump will make an official announcement due to his track record so far. He recognized March as Women's History Month, but didn't issue a statement about International Women's Day like his predecessor, instead choosing to share some tweets and leave the White House statement to then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer. He also failed to recognize June as Pride Month.

That's why New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is launching a campaign Thursday night to pressure the president into declaring Saturday as a celebration of women’s suffrage.

"Saturday we mark Women's Equality Day. In New York we protect and value women's rights every day. We will always push women’s rights forward. Our economy and soul depend on full equality," Gov. Cuomo said in a statement provided to Refinery29.

He added, "I am calling on President Trump to issue a proclamation, affirming this nation's belief that all men and women are created equal, and that the right to vote is genderless.‎ To say less is against every value we as New Yorkers hold and protect."

The governor and his administration are inviting people to use the hashtag #WomensEqualityDay on social media to craft posts over the next two days urging President Trump to recognize Saturday's importance.

Melissa DeRosa, secretary to Gov. Cuomo and chair of the New York State Council on Women and Girls, said in a statement provided to Refinery29 that despite the Trump administration's efforts to undermine women's rights (like potentially rolling back access to contraception), "New York will not move backwards."

She added, "We are calling on President Trump to do what every president from Nixon to Obama has done and make a clear statement that women are equal, and that the right to vote — hard won and long sought — is ours."