Women’s Leadership Forum

My mother, Nancy Pelosi, is the Democratic Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives and the first woman to lead a national political party in America. From the moment she won her first race for House leadership, my mother’s mantra has been “we have made history; now we must make progress.”

When I think of strong women in positions of influence, I immediately think of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Throughout her four decades of service, she has worked consistently for those who need her voice, her strength, and her resolve.

In 1991, Ann Richards was elected Governor of Texas, the first female elected to a statewide position in more than 50 years. While she was governor, Texas established site-based decision-making in its public schools, increased prison space and introduced a nationally respected substance-abuse program in its prisons.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett wielded power with her pen, bringing attention to the lynching of black men in the South and advocating for women’s suffrage. Wells was a stalwart for justice and fought tenaciously for the civil rights of black people and women in a time when blacks were subjugated.