American poet Maya Angelou wrote, “You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.”

March is Women’s History Month. That means that, around the globe, March is when people commemorate the contributions women have made to events in history as well as the force women continue to be in shaping today’s world. If culture consists of stories we tell ourselves about who we are, and why, and towards what end, women’s history is essential to helping half the world’s population appreciate its significance and value.

Acknowledging women’s role in history hasn’t always been the norm. It wasn’t until 2020 that Oxford—the world’s second-oldest university—announced establishment of its Hillary Rodham Clinton Chair in Women’s History. By doing so, Oxford became the first major university anywhere to inaugurate an endowed chair dedicated to the study of women’s history. In announcing the chair, Vice-Chancellor Louise Richardson (herself the first female vice-chancellor at Oxford in its more than 800-year history) said, “For far too long, women have remained in the background, and the world has suffered as a consequence.” Instead, she noted, women belong at “the forefront of history in society.”

At Lincoln Road, we believe deeply in the power of stories. That’s why we share the histories of contemporary women leaders from different walks of life here. In their experiences, we hear about the personal qualities, values, and gifts that propelled these women into lives of contribution and distinction. They wanted to make the world a better place—and they are succeeding. One day at a time, they are writing history. We can join them.