Women face many challenges in 2026, and much of our lives are unsettled by political events. Hopefully we will soon reach the day when the celebration of women’s history is not limited to one month, but is celebrated throughout the entire year. But until then we must not miss this opportunity to celebrate the special women who helped make our world a better place. Not just famous suffragists like Susan B. Anthony, but women from all walks of life who labored for years for the simple rights of having their voices heard, earning equal pay for equal work, and following their own path, their own dreams.

Women like Mabel Vernon who worked tirelessly for the suffrage amendment, and after it was passed worked with Alice Paul to secure the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, which is still facing challenges;

Edna Buckman Kearns. who brought the suffrage campaign to all Long Islanders via her work as an editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and passed on the suffrage fervor to her young daughter, Serena, thus insuring the struggle for political equality for all would be carried on by the next generation;

Betty Gillies who served as a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilot) during WWII, training male pilots and ferrying planes all over the country, despite little recognition or compensation;

Bella Abzug, who was one of the first women to serve in the House of Representatives and fought for social justice, despite facing discrimination as a woman attorney;

Clara Lemlich, who, in 1909 risked beatings and imprisonment for leading young garment workers to strike for better wages and working conditions.

And in each of our families, work places, and communities there are remarkable women doing remarkable things every day, facing social and financial challenges. Let’s notice, celebrate and honor them, not just in March, but every day of the year.