As Women's History Month opens Friday, the Virginia General Assembly now has the largest group of female lawmakers in history.
2024 is the 100-year anniversary of the first female lawmakers walking into the House of Delegates and taking a seat of power. In 1924, Helen Henderson of Buchanan County and Sarah Lee Fain of Norfolk made history as the first ever lady lawmakers in Virginia.
"You could say that Helen was from the Piedmont and Sarah was from urban Tidewater, so you do have that urban-rural representation together between the two of them," says Mark Greenhaugh, historian of the Virginia state Capitol.
"They created a momentum where six women were able to serve up until the 1930s. So, they’re the first two, but between 1924 and the early 1930s, there were a total of six women in the House. You won't find a lady lawmaker going into the halls of the Senate until 1980."
This year, Virginia has 45 female lawmakers. That’s one third of the General Assembly, the largest number of women to ever serve in the House and the Senate.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
