SACRAMENTO – In recognition of Women’s History Month, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus (LWC) today will host the 2024 California Women Making HERstory floor ceremony in both houses of the Legislature honoring eight women from across the state for their exemplary and trailblazing achievements.
This year’s California HERstory Makers are:
- Senate President pro Tempore Emerita Toni Atkins who among other record breaking achievements is the first woman to lead both houses of the Legislature;
- California State University Chancellor Mildred García, the first Latina to head the nation’s largest four-year public university system;
- Environmental justice champion and 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Nalleli Cobo-Uriarte;
- American Academy of Poets multiple award winner Mai Der Vang;
- California Supreme Court Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, the first Latina to serve as California’s Chief Justice;
- Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Christina House;
- Venture capital pioneer Aileen Lee named by Forbes as one of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women”; and
- Black Women for Wellness Founder who helped launch a national movement for reproductive justice, Janette Robinson Flint.
The origins of Women’s History Month can be traced to 1977 when the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women launched a Women’s History Week. The concept caught national attention, and in 1987 Congress officially declared March as Women’s History Month to recognize the accomplishments of women who have launched innovations in every sector and made significant improvements to every field of American life but whose stories have been often untold or buried.
“The Legislative Women’s Caucus is proud to bring together these trailblazing women who are both record breakers and unparalleled leaders in their respective fields. Their achievements benefit all Californians, and demonstrate the too-often untapped and underappreciated power that resides within the girls and women of our state,” said LWC Chair, Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley.
“It is a pleasure and an honor to celebrate some remarkable women here at the California State Capitol. These women’s accomplishments serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for women and girls across our state and nation, encouraging them to dream big and break through any barriers they may face,” said LWC Vice Chair, Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters.
Today’s Senate and Assembly floor sessions will commence with the reading and passage of Senate Resolution 56 and House Resolution 72, commemorating Women’s History Month, and will be followed by members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus accompanying the 2024 California HERstory Makers on the floor to receive certificates of recognition. The Assembly Floor session begins at 1 p.m., and the Senate Floor session starts at 2 p.m.
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