Women in the Lead

Yavapai County elected the second female state senator in American history, Frances Willard Munds of Prescott, in 1914. 
She’d already been active in public life with the Women’s Temperance Union and as an early advocate for women’s right to vote, leading the campaign for a successful state voter referendum in 1913. This led to her nomination the following year; she won by 600 votes. 
In 1915 Munds wrote, “I want the women to realize that they will have to make a concerted demand for the things they want and not merely present a bill and ask someone to put it through for them. I want them to get into the battle themselves.”
Ever since, local women have been “getting into the battle” to make our community a safer, brighter, healthier, more comfortable and humane place to be. In this issue of Prescott LIVING we pay tribute to them. They make laws, start and run businesses, educate us, protect us as first responders and health care workers and build, sell and furnish our homes. 
They provide us fabulous meals and drinks, give us places to relax and feel pampered, secure our financial futures, facilitate communication and enliven our environment with their art. They make our cities and neighborhoods, forests and fields more livable for people, pets and wildlife alike.
These women are leaders because of their individual intelligence and experience, with an assist from such qualities as integrity, empathy, purpose, tenacity and an ability to nurture and build teams. 
We thank them all for using their time and talent to make Greater Prescott as special as it is.