I can barely remember my father. He left when I was seven, and died many years ago. My mother, with all of her flaws and foibles - and they were many - stepped up to the plate and provided for four children, one in a wheelchair, without child support. The mantra she sang was "No excuse, just produce."

I cannot remember ever thinking that there was something I could not do just because I was a girl (my math skills, or lack thereof, were a far larger impediment to some of my dreams), nor did I ever feel obligated to marry, to have children, or to comply in any way with feminine stereotypes. I recall my shock when I suddenly felt these societal pressures when I moved to South America in the 1970s, of being apalled when my opinion was ignored at meetings, of finally one day shouting in frustration: ¡Yo no soy invisible! [I am not invisible!]. As I watch my daughter complete her Masters of Science, work in a lab, travel to West Africa and hurdle cultural gender barriers in a single bound, I think perhaps the "you can do anything you put your fine mind to" mantra that I sang has had some resonance.

So I wore red on International Women's Day. It was my small way of honoring the millions of women who, like me, cannot stop what they're doing to demonstrate the critical role we women play in the life of our families, our cities, our nations and our planet. As Women's History Month rolls out before us, it's a good time to remember our feminine forebears upon whose strong shoulders we stand, often taking for granted the role their remarkable accomplishments play in our daily lives.

I marvel at the 48 amazing women who have been awarded a Nobel Prize since 1901. Some are familiar, like Marie Curie (honored twice!), Mother Teresa, Malala Yousafzai, Doris Lessing, Toni Morrison, Gabriela Mistral, Pearl Buck. But I am embarrased to admit that I had never heard of many of these illustrious game changers. May Britt Moser discovered the brain's positioning system, Youyou Tu discovered a novel therapy for malaria, Wangari Muta Maathai contributed to sustainable development, democracy and peace.

These are women from places and times when it was even more difficult than it is today for a woman to make a substantive contribution and be heard, let alone be honored. It is quite telling that three times as many women have been awarded a Nobel Prize since 1980 as during during the entire first half of the twentieth century.

But let's bring this a bit closer to home. Seneca Falls, just 100 miles from Buffalo in the lovely Finger Lakes region, is the birthplace of women's suffrage, the right to vote. The Seneca Falls Convention, held on July 19–20, 1848, was the first women's rights convention organized by women explicitly for the purpose of discussing women's rights. It took 72 years of protests, parades, lawsuits, hunger strikes and political maneuvering until finally the Nineteenth Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution in 1920. It states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." If you're looking for a fun way to celebrate Women's History Month and take a ride through beautiful country, visit the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls. If you go on Saturday March 11 you can catch a talk on Seward Feminism. 

So then I started thinking about women right here in Buffalo. So many strong, determined women have shaped this city. Their stories and their impact reach far beyond our city limits. For instance:

Maria Love (1840-1931) established the Fitch Crèche on Swan Street in 1881. Nationally recognized as the first day care center in the nation, it provided care for the children of the working poor.

Anna Katharine Green (1846-1935) is known as the "Mother of the Detective Novel.” Her first book, "The Leavenworth Case," was published in 1878 and became the first American bestselling novel. She is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Mary Burnett Talbert (1866-1923), the civil rights activist who founded the Niagara Movement, a predecessor of the NAACP. In 1899, when fewer than 1,700 Blacks lived in Buffalo, she also helped found the Phyllis Wheatley Club of Colored Women which opened a settlement house in 1905, started programs to feed the hungry, donated books by Black authors to school libraries, established kindergartens for black children and organized "mother's clubs" to teach parenting skills.

Louise Blanchard Bethune (1856-1913), the first female architect to practice in the U.S. An ardent feminist who insisted upon equal pay for women, she designed the Hotel Lafayette on Washington Street, now newly restored and once again fabulous. Picture her tooling around Buffalo on a bicycle.

Marian de Forest (1864-1935) was one of the first female newspaper reporters in Buffalo. Also an accomplished playwright, she founded the Zonta Club, promoted orchestra concerts, and served on the Boards of the SPCA and the Buffalo Public Library.

Zorah Berry (1889-1969), local concert promoter who brought hundreds of musical performers to Buffalo during her illustrious 40 year career. Think opera when you think of Ms. Berry.

Katharine Cornell (1893-1974), beloved Broadway actress nicknamed the “First Lady of the Theater.” She was best known nationally for her role as poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," but in Buffalo she is fondly remembered for her many years of work at the Studio Arena Theatre. I actually remember my father introducing me to her many, many years ago. She was so elegant in my very young eyes.

Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985), renowned Buffalo author who wrote more than 40 works of fiction which sold an estimated 30 million copies around the world.

And this is just a small sampling of women from the last two centuries. There are hundreds - indeed, thousands --more. Stop by the Downtown Library at Noon on Friday (March 10) for a peek at more through All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation, a book by Rebecca Traister, that will be reviewed and discussed at the Book Club in a Bag at the Ring of Knowledge. Drop into the Grosvenor Room while you're there. It's another treasure trove of stories. And poke through Uncrowned Community Builders, many of whom are women who made an enormous difference.

What women from the 1900s and the 2000s would you add to the short list of those who we must remember and emulate? Name some in comments, and celebrate the women in our lives and in our community.