President's Message

Dear Friends, Supporters, and Board Members,  

    Spring has finally arrived, and we watch the flowers poke their heads out of the ground, blossoms on the trees, and leaves emerging from the blossoms. Spring is a season of hope and yet rapid change. One day, it is sunny and beautiful, and then the wind blows, the temperature drops, and a violent rainstorm or even a possible tornado is on our doorsteps. The change in weather reminds me of the struggle that women have had to endure to obtain their rights. 

   For centuries, we were in winter, and our rights were denied.  Slowly, very slowly, the idea that women existed as separate human beings emerged and blossomed. The struggle for women’s rights in America began while our founding fathers clamored for independence from England in 1776.  They courageously fought an 8-year battle (1776-1783) to be independent. Ironically, at the same time the struggle for our independence was being fought, each state passed laws that cancelled married women’s rights.    Once a woman was married, she lost all her rights.  She was declared the subject of her husband, and he was her legal spokesperson in all matters. She had no economic rights…even the clothes on her back were his. 

   Another revolution would have to occur for women to be entitled to their rights.  It was in 1848, 72 years after the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, that another declaration was written. The Declaration of Sentiments, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, was written and presented at a historic convention in Seneca Falls, New York.    It was spearheaded by two women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton of Seneca Falls, NY, and Lucretia Mott of Philadelphia, PA.  A convention was called in Seneca Falls, NY, which had almost 300 people in attendance, women and men who saw the need for women to be treated in the eyes of the law the same as men.  The Declaration of Sentiments demanded the freedoms that our forefathers had secured for themselves.  Thus began a three-generation struggle for women to gain these fundamental rights. The women suffragettes who dedicated themselves to the battle were heroic. Often, they were threatened, harassed, and punished by authorities.  They were denounced by friends, families, and their communities for daring to speak and demand justice.

    Like spring, there were many good days and many threatening ones. Despite the obstacles and dangers, women continued to fight for their rights. Once secured, most of us thought they would never be lost. Yet we face challenges today that are reminiscent of the ups and downs the suffragettes faced. 

    It is important to remember the battles that suffragettes weathered and won. We must not allow today's storms to erase yesterday's victories. 

Since 2012, the Pennsylvania Women’s Hall of Achievement has conducted over 30 events, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and Zoom seminars, to recognize women and their stories. We have recognized over 300 women at our events. In  2019, we introduced Women’s Voices...Hear Them Speak(c), a unique calendar highlighting women past and present who have made a significant impact on our region, state, nation, and sometimes the world.  

   On August 23rd, we will be hosting the 10th Annual Spirit of the 19th Amendment Awards Luncheon and the introduction of the 2026 Women's Voices Hear Them Speak Calendar© and the women featured in it.   At the luncheon, we will have a special keynote speaker, Major General Mari K. Eder (Retired), who will be sharing her insights on women in service and women in history.  She has written books on women’s history. One book, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line, tells the untold stories of women who changed the course of World War II. I know you will find the day stimulating, inspirational, and enlightening.

  We need your support to highlight the best of women. Please attend our Luncheon on August 23, 2025, at the LeMont and learn about the fantastic women of Pennsylvania.  Your donations will enable us to share more calendars with young women, libraries, and schools, and they will learn about the extraordinary women of Pennsylvania.  

May the Voices of Women be Remembered and Honored During these Challenging Times.

JoAnn R. Forrester, President

PA Women's Hall of Achievement

Phone: 412.440.6969

Cell: 412.670.4322

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