St. Mary’s Commissioners Proclaim March As Women’s History Month

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Surrounded by members of the St. Mary’s County Commission for Women and county staff, Commissioner Scott Ostrow delivered a proclamation Tuesday recognizing March 2026 as Women’s History Month in St. Mary’s County.

“It’s my privilege to be able to deliver this proclamation,” Ostrow said at the March 3 meeting of the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County.

The proclamation recognized the role women have played locally and nationally. “Whereas women across our great land have helped make our country stronger and better by improving our communities and playing a vital role in achieving justice and equal rights for all citizens,” Ostrow read.

The proclamation continued, noting that women “continue to strengthen our nation, our state, our county and the world at large by excelling as leaders in all walks of life, including business, law, politics, family life, education, community service, science, medicine and the arts.”

It also honored military service members, stating that “the brave women who wear the uniform of the United States Armed Forces are helping to lay the foundation of peace and freedom for generations to come.”

Ostrow emphasized that the observance is intended to reflect the full scope of women’s lives and accomplishments. “The purpose of Women’s History Month is not to idealize women, but to collect and share stories of women’s achievements that present an expanded view of the complexity and contradiction of living a full and purposeful life,” he read.

The 2026 national theme, he added, is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” which celebrates “the diverse contributions of women who are leading sustainability efforts across environmental, economic, educational and social justice movements.”

“Now, therefore, we, the commissioners of St. Mary’s County, do hereby proclaim the month of March 2026 Women’s History Month,” Ostrow read. “We call upon all citizens of St. Mary’s County to observe this month through appropriate ceremonies and activities, and to remember, throughout the year, the many contributions made by women in this county, in the state of Maryland and in the United States.”

Following the proclamation, representatives from the county’s Commission for Women and Department of Aging & Human Services shared plans for this year’s observance.

Catherine Stewart of the Commission for Women thanked the commissioners for the recognition and outlined a new approach to celebrating women in the community.

“This year, we’ve decided that we are going to do something different,” Stewart said. “So instead of doing our annual brunch and our dinner, we are going to do a contribution and salute to all women, tomorrow’s women, and women of the year.”

She said the commission will highlight women through social media profiles. “We are going to put everybody on profile and recognize them through social media. So stay tuned.”

Former honorees and current nominees will be showcased on Facebook, she said, adding that the nomination process deadline is Friday.

“If you know anyone in the county that has volunteered, a woman, of course, young, old, all of us, please recognize them and send something in to the Office of Aging, and/or look at our Facebook for additional information,” Stewart said.

Lori Jennings-Harris, director of the Department of Aging & Human Services; Melissa Rodriguez; and Emily Stagner of the Commission for Women thanked the commissioners for the proclamation, with Jennings-Harris saying, “I want to thank the commissioners for the proclamation and recognizing the contribution of women, as the proclamation reasons, not just in the county, in the state, in the country, but around the world.”

Cynthia Brown, Human Services Division manager, who works closely with the Commission for Women and provides logistical support, added, “I’d like to thank these volunteers for always leading the way and recognizing the contributions of women and girls in our county.”

The proclamation was dated March 3, 2026, marking the official start of Women’s History Month observances in St. Mary’s County.

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