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Community Corner

Women's History Month: Celebrating Women Who Have Made a Difference

It is often forgotten that March is Women’s History Month. The month serves to highlight the extraordinary contributions that women have made throughout history and how they have shaped our contemporary society. One of the most influential groups of women in history has been the League of Women Voters. On both a national and local level, the League of Women Voters has worked diligently to better the United States of America.

Throughout its history, the League of Women Voters has maintained the culture of the movement that secured the right to vote for women. Founded in 1920, the League of Women Voters was formed during the last meeting of theNational American Woman Suffrage Association, roughly 6 months before the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. The League was formed to help inform women about the political issues of the time, as well as in aiding 20 million women to register to vote. Since that day, the League of Women Voters has continued to promote democracy and done its best to keep the government honest. Local leagues dedicate themselves to the original tenants of suffrage, advocating for fair government in their communities, supporting equal rights and ensuring that every citizen has a voice. The League works to engage voters, holding registration drives as well as attempting to promote higher political activity among historically underrepresented and underprivileged demographics. The League even helped pass the Sunshine Act, to ensure that the government is held publicly accountable.

More recently, the League of Women Voters has also dedicated itself to environmental advocacy. Over the years, the League has been instrumental in passing some of the most far reaching environmental legislation in New Jersey, including the Freshwater Wetlands Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Mandatory Recycling Law.

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On a local level, the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood has also maintained an active presence in the community. They lobbied to save the historic Lester Stable from demolition and it now currently functions as the headquarters for Ridgewood’s growing Parks and Recreation Department. Another major contribution to the town of Ridgewood was the introduction of the GeesePeace program, which is a means to humanely stabilize the invasive Canada goose population. The program has been so successful that other towns in Bergen County have also adopted its strategies. Local programs are also often held to inform the public on various topics, including human trafficking, water quality, hydrofracking, highlands, Open Public Meetings/Records Acts, women in politics, and school budgets.

The brave and hardworking women (and men) of the League of Women Voters certainly deserve recognition during Women’s History Month for all that they have done. Evolving out of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, the League has maintained that ideology, fighting for government transparency and promoting voter registration among underserved populations. The organization has, without a doubt, influenced the world that we live in today.

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If you would like to assist the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood through Boiling Springs Savings Bank’s Community Alliance Program please click on the buttons below to open an account and download the CAP form to designate your new account or loan or existing account as a supporter.

-          Edited by Andrew Miller   

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