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Happy Women History Month, Let’s Make it a Year Round
Celebration!
Throughout history, women have fought persistently to come out
of the shadows, organize for change and make their voices heard.
In the United States, women have come a long way.
Women held their first women rights
convention in
1878; in 1920,
the 19th
Amendment to the Constitution,
granting women the right to vote, became law; the first
Commission on the Status of Women
was established by President John
Kennedy in
1963 and the equal-pay act was passed.
In
1987, the National Hispana
Leadership Institute was
founded to address the under-representation of Latinas in the
non-profit, political and corporate arenas and, just recently in
early
2009, President Barack Obama signed his first
bill, the Lily Ledbetter
Fair Pay Restoration Act, which allows victims of pay
discrimination to file a complaint with the government against
their employer within 180 days of their last paycheck.
We have gone from being treated as second-class citizens to
getting recognized as full contributors of our society. Women
from all backgrounds, ages, regions, countries have taken a
stand against disparity, social
injustices, and to provide a better life for their
families.
Some have become more visible names and others have worked
behind the scenes. There are those who work at the base with the
community and those who support communities from a national
lens.
There are women who walk the halls of Capitol Hill advocating
for policies and there are those who sit in corporate offices
making multimillion-dollar decisions.
There are those who stay at home to care for their families and
others who hold two jobs to make ends meet.
There are those who leave their countries of origin to give
loved ones a better life.
Regardless of our occupations, status, background all women
matter and can make a difference every single day.
In the Latino community, courageous women have made history and
continue making history with their struggles. During the late
‘60s and early ‘70s Dolores Huertas fought intensely for
farmworker rights.
A few years ago, a young Marie González from
Missouri and Gabriela Pacheco
from Miami emerged to become outspoken immigration rights
advocates—and like them thousands of other young Latinas.
We recently saw Hilda Solis
transition from U.S. Congresswoman to become the first Latina
Secretary of Labor. And there
are thousands of Latina stories we may not hear that often…first
in the family to graduate from college, to get elected to public
office, to start a new business.
As we honor Women throughout the month of March and reflect on
our accomplishments, challenges we still must overcome, and the
work we still have to do, remember that every woman is
important. Tell your friends, your boss, your mother, your
sisters, your grandma, your neighbor, and your colleagues what
their hard work means to you and thank them what they do.
Because each and everyone one of them is paving the way, sowing
a seed and making it better for the next generation.
When Congress expanded the National Women’s History Week
in 1987 to an entire month celebration, we might have thought it
was a victory. But let’s not wait until U.S. Congress approves
another expansion.
Let’s take it upon ourselves to honor women all year round.
Sincerely,
Cristina López
President
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