Women across the city gathered Friday to celebrate a national milestone: Women's Equality Day.
Advocates and elected officials gathered in Flatiron to honor the anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment, which more than 90 years ago gave women the right to vote.
Those NY1 spoke with stressed the importance of women voting in an election year.
"People need to understand the sacrifices that individuals have made so that we could vote," Public Advocate Letitia James said. "And the most decisive and the most powerful tool that you have is the power to vote."
"Today we remember and express our appreciation for the women on whose shoulders we stand that brought us to where we are today," said Carolyn Maloney, who represents parts of Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn in the U.S. House of Representatives. "But we still have much more work to do."
Last year, the city council started the Young Women's Initiative, which officials said aims to expand education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for women across the five boroughs.