Today, 8.26, is Women’s Equality Day — the 95th anniversary of the final certifying into law of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. (The 19th Amendment was actually ratified on 8.18.20.) The amendment had first been proposed in 1878 so the process took 42 years. It didn’t become law because women smiled at lawmakers and said “please.” It happened because they pushed for it, and then pushed and pushed and pushed until it hurt. Power always has to be fought for, and this often means that the foot soldiers of any political movement will have to suffer cuts and bruises and deprivations. I just hope that there’s more to Sarah Gavron‘s Suffragette (Focus Features, 10.23) than a dramatization of what a struggle it was for English women to fight against complacency and dismissive attitudes. I’m just hoping there’s more to it than just “these women really paid the price.”