By Richard Fernando-Arachige
On September 18th 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. Justice Ginsburg left a legacy of gender equality that had been instilled in her from a young age, from her mother who fought in the war for women’s suffrage. She experienced this kind of sexism often in the world while trying to get ahead. She was denied many scholarships and jobs just because she was a woman. However, because she worked hard, she graduated first in her class at Columbia Law School, while raising a daughter. These experiences of sexism inspired Justice Ginsburg to fight six discrimination cases before the supreme court. Eventually, she was recognized by Bill Clinton and appointed as the second female Supreme Court Justice (and first Jewish female Supreme Court Justice). During her time as a Supreme Court Justice she worked on many cases such as:
- Us vs. Virginia (which said women could receive a military education)
- Olmstead vs. LC (a case involving discrimination against people with mental illness)
- Ledbetter vs. Goodyear ( a waige discrimination case)
- And Obergefall vs. Hodges (which helped legalize same-sex marriage in the US)
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also brought ideas of gender equality into her household, while she was married to her husband Martin D. Ginsburg, she actually worked outside the house while Martin took care of the family. This was during a time when women were supposed to stay at home and be in charge of cooking and housework while men were supposed to provide money for the family. In conclusion, Justice Ginsburg has made a huge impact on the lives of the American people.
Click here to see the trailer for On the Basis of Sex, a movie about RBG’s fight for women’s rights. https://www.imdb.com/video/vi771602969?playlistId=tt4669788&ref_=tt_ov_vi
