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Women & Power

Susan B. Anthony Women of Influence Award Nominations Open — Who Qualifies?

Nominations are open for the Susan B. Anthony Women of Influence Award. Learn who qualifies, how to nominate, and why this recognition matters in 2025.

Nominations for the Susan B. Anthony Women of Influence Award are now open, giving communities the opportunity to recognize women whose leadership, advocacy, and civic contributions echo the groundbreaking work of the iconic suffragist. Whether in business, education, public service, or community organizing, this annual recognition program honors women driving meaningful change.

🔑 Key Takeaways

  • Nominations for the Susan B. Anthony Women of Influence Award are currently open for submission.
  • The award recognizes women demonstrating exceptional leadership, advocacy, and community service.
  • Susan B. Anthony, born February 15, 1820, remains one of America's most consequential civil rights champions — her legacy directly informs the criteria for this honor.
  • Community members, organizations, and institutions are encouraged to nominate qualifying women.
  • The award carries particular resonance in Washington DC, where women's civic leadership shapes federal policy, nonprofit impact, and neighborhood advocacy daily.

Why the Susan B. Anthony Legacy Still Commands the Room in 2025

Susan B. Anthony spent more than five decades demanding that American democracy live up to its founding promises — and she did it without ever casting a legal vote. Born in Adams, Massachusetts in 1820, Anthony co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association alongside Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1869 and was arrested in 1872 for voting illegally in Rochester, New York. The National Park Service commemorates her home and legacy as a cornerstone of American civil rights history.

Awards bearing her name don't carry that weight by accident. Programs like the Women of Influence recognition are designed to surface the Anthony-style tenacity that shows up in city council chambers, nonprofit boardrooms, school PTAs, and federal agency hallways — the daily, unglamorous work of making systems more equitable.

In Washington DC, that work is never abstract. From Capitol Hill to Ward 8, women lead some of the most consequential institutions in the country. The Women's Equality Center and peer organizations track a national landscape where women hold 28% of congressional seats — progress, but not parity. Recognition programs that name and amplify women of influence help shift the cultural calculus.

What the Women of Influence Award Recognizes

While specific eligibility criteria vary by sponsoring organization, Women of Influence programs modeled on Susan B. Anthony's legacy typically honor women who demonstrate:

  • Civic and political leadership — elected office, appointed roles, community board service, or grassroots organizing
  • Professional excellence — trailblazing achievement in law, medicine, STEM, business, education, or the arts
  • Mentorship and advocacy — a demonstrated commitment to lifting other women and girls through programs, platforms, or personal investment
  • Community impact — measurable contributions to quality of life, equity, or justice at the local or national level

Nominations are typically submitted online and reviewed by an independent selection committee. Nominators are asked to document specific achievements — not just titles — that reflect the nominee's influence and impact. The National Women's History Museum, headquartered in Washington DC, offers extensive resources on evaluating women's historical and contemporary contributions as context for nominations like these.

How Washington DC Women Are Redefining Influence

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The nation's capital produces a particular brand of women's leadership — one shaped by proximity to federal power, a majority-Black city, and one of the most educated workforces in the United States. Women lead the DC Office of Human Rights, anchor editorial desks at the Washington Post, direct research at Georgetown University and Howard University, and run some of the highest-impact advocacy organizations in the country.

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DC women also punch above their weight in appointive and elected office. Mayor Muriel Bowser has served as the District's chief executive since 2015, making her one of the longest-serving big-city mayors in the country. At the federal level, DC-area women lead committees, agencies, and caucuses that touch every dimension of American life — from healthcare access to national security.

For more on how DC women shape the corridors of power, see our DC Power Players Index and the Political Influence Rankings.

Why This Matters in Washington

Washington DC is not a passive backdrop for national conversations about women and power — it is the arena. Nominations for awards like the Susan B. Anthony Women of Influence recognition carry real stakes here. Being named a Woman of Influence can accelerate a career, open doors to Senate confirmation hearings, attract foundation funding, and bring long-overdue visibility to women doing essential work outside the spotlight.

The District is also home to landmark institutions that advance women's leadership year-round. Gallaudet University, American University's School of Public Affairs, and The White House Project alumni network all contribute to a pipeline of women ready to lead. Recognition programs feed that pipeline — and the Susan B. Anthony name signals to nominators and nominees alike that the bar is set at historic.

According to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, based in Washington DC, women in the District earn approximately 86 cents for every dollar earned by men — above the national average but still a gap worth closing. Economic visibility and civic recognition work together: named, celebrated women of influence command more negotiating power in every room they enter.

Track the broader landscape of DC women in power through our DC Power Index 2025 and stay current with Power Moves coverage.

How to Submit a Nomination

If you know a woman whose leadership, resilience, and community impact deserve national recognition, the nomination window is open now. Here's how to approach a strong submission:

  1. Document specific impact — avoid vague praise. Cite programs launched, dollars raised, policies changed, or lives directly affected.
  2. Connect to the legacy — explain how your nominee embodies Susan B. Anthony's commitment to equality, justice, and civic courage.
  3. Gather supporting voices — letters from colleagues, community members, or institutional partners strengthen any nomination.
  4. Meet the deadline — nomination windows close without extensions. Submit early and follow up with the sponsoring organization directly.

For context on DC women's leadership pipelines, explore our coverage of Howard University and DC's HBCU community, where women's leadership has been cultivated and celebrated for generations.


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Our best stories, every Tuesday and Friday. Free.

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FAQ: Susan B. Anthony Women of Influence Award

Q: Who can be nominated for the Susan B. Anthony Women of Influence Award?
A: Any woman who demonstrates exceptional civic leadership, professional achievement, mentorship, or community advocacy may be nominated. Specific eligibility requirements depend on the sponsoring organization running the award program in a given year or region.

Q: How do I submit a nomination?
A: Nominations are typically submitted online through the sponsoring organization's official portal. Strong nominations include specific achievements, supporting documentation, and a clear explanation of the nominee's influence and impact.

Q: What is the significance of naming this award after Susan B. Anthony?
A: Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) was a pioneering civil rights leader who spent decades advocating for women's suffrage and equal rights. The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, is sometimes called the Susan B. Anthony Amendment in her honor. Awards bearing her name signal the highest standard of women's civic and social leadership.

Q: When is the nomination deadline?
A: Deadline information is published by the sponsoring organization when nominations open. Check the official program website for current deadlines — nomination windows typically run four to eight weeks.

Q: Are there regional or national versions of this award?
A: Yes. Multiple organizations — from local civic groups to national nonprofits — run Women of Influence programs that invoke Susan B. Anthony's legacy. Each has its own criteria, geographic scope, and selection process.

Q: Why do women's recognition awards matter beyond the ceremony?
A: Named recognition elevates visibility, which translates directly to professional opportunity, funding access, and policy influence. Research from the Institute for Women's Policy Research consistently links public recognition and representation to measurable gains in women's economic and civic power.


What to Watch Next: As the nomination window closes and honorees are selected, watch for announcement events that typically draw civic leaders, elected officials, and philanthropic networks. In Washington DC, these gatherings often serve as informal power convening — where the next generation of women in influence makes its first major connections. Follow Power Moves and our DC Power Players Index for honoree announcements and event coverage as they develop.

The bottom line: The Susan B. Anthony Women of Influence Award nominations are open, and the window to celebrate the women shaping communities, institutions, and policy is now. Whether in Kenosha, Capitol Hill, or anywhere in between, the women who carry Anthony's legacy forward deserve to be named — loudly and on record.

Reporting drawn from: Kenosha.com. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.