Women’s History Month: Honoring the Women Who Hold Our Children’s Futures

The Monthly Mindset - March 2026

By Melanie Pignotti, LCPC, CAC Chief Executive Officer

Women’s History Month invites us to honor the women whose courage, leadership and insistence on justice have shaped the world we live in. In child advocacy, this reflection carries a special weight. Our work exists because too many girls and women have endured violence and silencing, yet our work thrives because women continue to rise, lead and heal. 

At our Child Advocacy Center, this truth is visible every day. We are a 100% women‑led organization, guided by a Board of Directors that is 58% women and serving a community in which more than half of our clients are girls and young women. Women are not just part of our mission; they are the leadership, the labor and the heart of the healing we provide. 

The Women Who Sustain the Community of Care 

Across the professions that anchor our CAC—social work, mental health counseling,

forensic interviewing, medical care and victim advocacy—women form the overwhelming majority. National workforce analyses show that 83.9% of licensed social workers are women, and women make up most of the mental health counseling and therapy workforce. Their strength, compassion and determination are the foundation of the safety and hope we offer children and families. 

Women have long stepped into the hardest spaces where trauma lives, where systems fail, where children need someone to believe them, and they have built pathways toward healing with skill and tenderness. 

Standing on the Shoulders of Women Who Led the Way 

Our community of care is part of a lineage shaped by women who refused to accept the world as it was: 

• Eleanor Roosevelt, who reshaped the national conversation about human rights and child welfare. 

• Rosalynn Carter, whose lifelong mental health advocacy brought dignity and visibility to those too often overlooked. 

• Helen Rodríguez Trías, a pediatrician and public health leader who championed children’s health rights, equitable medical care and protections for marginalized families. 

• Ruby Bridges, who as a young girl became a symbol of courage and continues to advocate for tolerance and educational equity. 

Their leadership reminds us that women have always been architects of change, especially when children’s futures were at stake. 

Carrying Their Legacy Forward 

I carry their legacy forward in how I show up as a leader. Women in leadership often walk a narrower path. The same clarity or decisiveness praised in men can be interpreted differently in women, and navigating that reality can be challenging. 

Because of that, I try to model the kind of leadership I hope the women in our CAC feel free to claim; strength that doesn’t need apology, boundaries that don’t require guilt, compassion that doesn’t demand self‑erasure and honesty about inequity when it appears. Modeling, for me, is less about having the answers and more about being present, steady and authentic. When women see other women leading in this way, it opens space for them to lead in ways that feel true to who they are. Every woman who works in our CAC inspires me daily, each bringing their own background, lived experience and perspective to this work and together creating a depth of care and wisdom that strengthens our services and community. 

A Call to Action for Women’s History Month 

Women’s History Month is not only a celebration, but also a reminder of the work still ahead. Globally, nearly 1 in 3 women experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime, making women and girls disproportionately affected by sexual abuse and violence. The women in our CAC carry the emotional and moral weight of work that society too often overlooks. They deserve equity, opportunity, recognition and support. And the girls we serve deserve a world where their voices are valued, their potential is nurtured and their safety is non‑negotiable. 

We honor the women who came before us by continuing their work with clarity and courage. We honor the women beside us by lifting one another up. And we honor the girls we serve by building a future where they can grow without fear, lead without apology and heal without barriers. 

Sources 

Workforce Statistics 

• Licensed Social Worker Demographics and Statistics. Zippia. (Statistic: 83.9% of licensed social workers are women.) 

Prevalence of Violence Against Women and Girls 

• Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates 2025. World Health Organization (WHO). (Global statistic: Nearly 1 in 3 women experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime.) 

Historical Figures 

• Eleanor Roosevelt. Wikipedia; Britannica. 

• Rosalynn Carter. Wikipedia; Britannica. 

• Helen Rodríguez Trías. Wikipedia; U.S. National Library of Medicine, Changing the Face of Medicine; U.S. National Park Service. 

• Ruby Bridges. Wikipedia; National Women’s History Museum; Britannica.