The message of the latest Women in Leadership of West Central Ohio's power luncheon was one of perseverance, and the two guest speakers of the luncheon are well acquainted with having to work hard for what they've achieved.
Former Ohio House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson and Former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery spoke about their trials and tribulations as they worked to find their places in politics, both say that sharing their experiences and talking about perseverance with women in leadership roles is something that they hope will inspire women to strive for the future.
"We need to encourage each other, and I think that when they can see illustrations of other people that have done that it kind of gives them a feeling of, 'yeah I can do that too', and that’s really why we’re willing to come to meetings like this," said Davidson.
"I think it’s critically important to talk about resiliency for women if they want to be in leadership positions, because you’re not always going to win every point you want or every job you want or every position you want, so it’s really important for women to get out and get trained; there are many things that you can learn just by sitting down and talking to others who have gone through ahead of you," said Montgomery.
And looking towards the future with several women as possible candidates for governor, that may open the way to encourage other women to run for office too.
"An important thing that I’ve tried to say to these groups of women that I speak to is that if more women don’t run for office, we’re not going to have women representation, so I’m glad to see a lot of people out there competing," said Davidson.
