JOHNSTOWN - The enthusiasm for women's rights was palpable at the Women of Influence luncheon at the Holiday Inn on Thursday, as attendees cheered at each mention of local female firsts or anecdotes about women's rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Johnstown Mayor Sarah Slingerland received loud applause when she was introduced as the first female mayor of the city in its 250-year history. Joyous shouts and laughter could be heard when several speakers recalled how Stanton rewrote her marriage vows, removing "obey" when she was married.
A silence fell over the crowd, though, when Coline Jenkins, the great-great-granddaughter of Stanton, slipped a burqa over her head and stood before the group.
Jenkins recalled an incident in Afghanistan when a man threw acid on the faces of six women who were walking to school. Under Taliban rule, women were forbidden from school, and violence against women who defy old laws, like the requirement that women wear a burqa, persists there and in other places across the world.
Jenkins spoke in a measured voice, the blue burqa concealing her face.
"When you disfigure women with acid ... you set a permanent impediment to who they can potentially be," she said.
Most of the event, though, was filled with stories of women's suffrage, important female firsts and a celebration of the history of Stanton, who was born and raised in Johnstown. Slingerland and Seneca Falls Mayor Diana Smith signed a proclamation declaring the two municipalities sister cities. Stanton spent much of her life in Seneca Falls, and it's the site of the first women's rights convention.
Thursday was the 90th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. As part of the celebration, Slingerland declared Aug. 26 Women's Equality Day in Johnstown.
Fulton County Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Wally Hart commended Debra Kolsrud, chairwoman of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Hometown Association, for organizing the event. He called her a tireless promoter of the area and said the success of the luncheon, which had more than 150 attendees, is evidence of the strong tourism power of the Stanton legacy.
Fulton County District Attorney Louise Sira agreed. She called Johnstown a "unique niche" in the history of women's rights and said she hopes further promotion of Stanton's legacy in the area will help educate local young people and promote tourism.
U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, who represents the 28th Congressional District, was the keynote speaker at the event. She said while many strides have been made in women's rights, there is still a lot of work left to be done.
"We're a tenacious crowd," she said of the mostly female group at the event. "There isn't anything in the world that this group of women couldn't do."
After the luncheon, some attendees went on a trolley tour of local historic sites. A meeting for those interested in opening a Stanton educational center in the city also was held.
Slingerland said she's proud of the women's rights history of her city and plans to push to get Johnstown included on a planned national Votes for Women Trail of history spots around the country.
"[This event] speaks to the great sense of history we have in Johnstown," she said.
Kayleigh Karutis covers Gloversville news. She can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com
