RTD Celebrates Women’s Equality Day

Observed annually on Aug. 26, Women’s Equality Day commemorates the certification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the constitutional right to vote. While the amendment was ratified in 1920, Women’s Equality Day was officially declared by Congress in 1973.

The 2025 theme, Accelerate Action, challenges individuals, organizations and communities to move forward with urgency—removing systemic barriers, amplifying diverse voices and ensuring that women have equitable opportunities to thrive. Within the field of public transportation, accelerating action entails advancing gender equity in leadership, supporting women across all roles and ensuring that transit services remain equitable, accessible and inclusive for the diverse communities served.

RTD honors the courageous women whose actions have shaped the path toward equality through representation and mentorship programs.

Trailblazers Who Accelerated Change

The women highlighted below represent courage, conviction and the determination to advance equality and continue to inspire RTD’s commitment to equity:

• Sojourner Truth – Abolitionist and women’s rights advocate whose "Ain’t I a Woman?” speech remains a powerful call for gender and racial equality.
• Stormé DeLarverié – LGBTQ+ rights icon whose actions during the Stonewall uprising helped catalyze the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
• Anita Cameron – Disability rights activist and ADAPT organizer who has championed accessible public transportation, advocating for systems that serve individuals of all abilities.
• Linda Sarsour – Civil rights advocate and community organizer who mobilizes communities for justice, representation and equal opportunity.
• Greta Thunberg – Climate justice leader who emphasizes that sustainable transportation is essential to a livable future.
• Rosalie Fish – Indigenous athlete and activist raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women, demonstrating the power of visibility and advocacy.

These trailblazers exemplify the capacity for transformative change when courage meets action.

Pioneers in Public Transit Leadership

The public transportation industry has produced its own groundbreaking women who have shaped opportunities for future leaders.

• Carmen Turner – The first Black woman to lead a major U.S. transit system, as General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Turner co-founded the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), an organization that continues to champion diversity and equity in transportation leadership—a mission aligned with RTD’s own diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives.
• Mary Peters – Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and a founding figure in the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), an organization dedicated to advancing women in transportation. Her work has expanded pathways for women in transit careers, reflecting RTD’s commitment to fostering advancement and growth for women across the agency.

Support Women-Owned Businesses

In honor of Women’s Equality Day, RTD encourages employees and community members to support and uplift women-led and women-owned businesses.

• Explore Women Owned, a national directory and resource hub that showcases women-owned brands across a wide range of industries. From everyday essentials to unique gift ideas, this platform makes it easy to discover and support female entrepreneurs.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis officially proclaimed Augustas “Women in Business Month”, celebrating the significant contributions of women entrepreneurs and leaders throughout Colorado.

• Visit the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Directory, hosted by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), to find certified women-owned businesses across Colorado.
• Discover the Downtown Boulder Women-Owned Business Map, an interactive guide that highlights women-led enterprises across the Boulder area. From boutiques and restaurants to service-based businesses, these women entrepreneurs enrich their communities and inspire through leadership and innovation.

Moving Forward

Women’s Equality Day provides a chance to honor the women who’ve come before, while reflecting on the work that still lies ahead. Public transportation is a crucial link to opportunity, education, healthcare and community engagement. At RTD, there is a clear recognition that equity in transportation is inseparable from equity in society.

By honoring the courage of trailblazers supporting today’s leaders within RTD and the transportation industry, the agency helps accelerate action toward a future in which gender equality is not an aspiration but a reality.