Senate Resolution No. 1701
BY: Senator STEWART-COUSINS
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
March 2026, as Women's History Month in the State of
New York, honoring the extraordinary innovation,
resilience, and contributions of women who have
shaped New York and the Nation
WHEREAS, March is recognized as Women's History Month, a time when
New York State honors the women whose leadership, creativity, and
perseverance have transformed our communities and advanced equality
across generations; and
WHEREAS, New York has long stood at the forefront of the women's
rights movement, from the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 to the present
day, serving as a national engine for progress in civil rights,
education, economic opportunity, and democratic participation; and
WHEREAS, Women across every field, politics, science, medicine, law,
business, education, the arts, journalism, and public service, have
driven innovation and broken barriers despite systemic discrimination,
ensuring that New York and this Nation remains a place where bold ideas
and courageous leadership thrive; and
WHEREAS, New York's legacy of women innovators began early,
including Emma Willard, who in 1821 founded the Troy Female Seminary,
the first endowed institution for women's higher education in the United
States, expanding academic opportunity for generations; and
WHEREAS, The fight for equality has always been strengthened by the
leadership, bravery, and sacrifice of many women, including African
American women like Sojourner Truth, whose powerful advocacy for
abolition and women's rights challenged the nation's conscience, as well
as Harriet Tubman, who led enslaved African American people to freedom
and continued her humanitarian work in Auburn; and
WHEREAS, Pioneering advancements in education and medicine,
Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to earn
a medical degree in 1849 from Geneva Medical College in New York, paving
the way for women in medicine; Dr. Mary E. Walker was the first female
U.S. Army surgeon and the only woman ever awarded the Congressional
Medal of Honor; and
WHEREAS, Belva Lockwood became the first woman to argue a case
before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1880, advocating for women's rights in
the legal profession; and
WHEREAS, Ida B. Wells, a journalist, civil rights activist, and
former resident of Brooklyn, fought for social, economic, and racial
equality for African Americans and all women while co-founding the
NAACP; and
WHEREAS, Madam C.J. Walker, an African American entrepreneur and
former Harlem resident, became the first woman in the United States to
achieve self-made millionaire status through the success of her haircare
business, and her Irvington estate, Villa Lewaro, now listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, stands as a lasting symbol of
ingenuity, perseverance, and the American entrepreneurial spirit; and
WHEREAS, In 1917, New York guaranteed women the right to vote in all
elections and in the following year the first two women, Ida Sammis and
Mary Lilly, were elected to the New York State Legislature and became
the first women to then serve in 1919; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were two of
many women leading the campaign for women's suffrage throughout the
mid-to-late 19th century, advocating for the right to vote, which
culminated in the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920; Maud Wood Park
became the first national president of the League of Women Voters in
1920, helping to establish an organization that continues to empower
voters and defend democracy; and
WHEREAS, Margaret Sanger, a pioneer in birth control education and
advocacy, opened the first birth control clinic in the United States in
Brooklyn in 1916, leading to the establishment of the Birth Control
Clinical Research Bureau in New York City in 1923; and
WHEREAS, Rhoda Fox Graves, elected in 1934, became the first woman
to serve in the New York State Senate and went on to serve in nine
consecutive Legislatures from 1935 to 1948; in 1955, Bessie Buchanan
became the first African American woman to serve in the New York State
Legislature when she was elected to the New York State Assembly,
breaking barriers in representation and public service; and
WHEREAS, Constance Baker Motley, a civil rights attorney and the
first Black woman elected to the New York State Senate in 1964, was
appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New
York in January 1966; in 1968, Assemblywoman Shirley Chisholm became the
first Black woman elected to Congress and, in 1972, became the first
Black woman to seek a major party's nomination for President of the
United States; and
WHEREAS, New York City was the site of the first Women's Strike for
Equality in 1970, when 50,000 people marched for equal rights, marking a
pivotal moment in the modern women's movement; and
WHEREAS, In 1978, Olga Mendez became the first Latina woman elected
to the New York State Legislature, and in 1983, women legislators
established the Legislative Women's Caucus to expand women's
participation and leadership in government; and
WHEREAS, Women have continued to break ground in law and public
service, from Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the
United States Supreme Court; to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Brooklyn native
and the second woman to join the Court; to Sonia Sotomayor, the first
Latina Justice; to Elena Kagan, the fourth woman appointed to the Court;
to Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the U.S.
Supreme Court; to Loretta Elizabeth Lynch, who built her distinguished
legal career in New York and became the first African American woman to
serve as Attorney General of the United States; to Janet Yellen, the
first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury; and
WHEREAS, Women in New York and across the Nation have shaped
culture, policy, law, arts, sciences, music, and athletics, including
the New York Liberty, who won their first WNBA Championship in 2024;
Team USA Women's Hockey captured gold at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games
with a roster uniquely dominated by active college athletes,
demonstrating the depth of young women's talent and the rising
generation of leaders in women's sports; and
WHEREAS, 2026 marks the 106th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, a
reminder that the rights women fought for must be protected, expanded,
and honored through continued civic participation and public leadership;
and
WHEREAS, Today, in New York State, women hold 50% of statewide
elected offices, including the Offices of Governor and Attorney General,
as well as 34.7% of seats in the New York State Legislature, reflecting
the growing leadership and influence of women in shaping public policy
and strengthening democracy; and
WHEREAS, The extraordinary achievements of trailblazing women,
spanning politics, law, medicine, business, civil rights, journalism,
education, sports, and activism, have shaped the course of history and
continue to inspire future generations; the collective achievements and
efforts of these women have expanded rights, shattered barriers, and
strengthened democracy, ensuring a more just and equitable society for
all; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2026, as Women's
History Month in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York; and to the Legislative Women's Caucus of New York State.
