<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1BGyh4_1GwrukDt00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1BGyh4_1GwrukDt00" width="1920" height="1080" ><figcaption>Dr. Amy Acton — Photo by Brent Warren.</figcaption></figure>Take a breath, Ohio. Yes, you read that right. After months of campaigning, political debates, and endless election ads, Ohio has reached a historic moment worth recognizing, regardless of where we stand politically.On November 3, Ohio made history by electing Dr. Amy Acton as our state’s first woman elected governor. For Femergy, a Columbus-based nonprofit, this historic moment represents more than political party affiliation. It’s about representation, breaking barriers, and challenging the narrative that investing in girls and women is somehow optional. Since 2014, Femergy has worked to equip girls and women with the resources and support needed to reach their full potential through education, leadership development, wellness, and career pathways. After all, how can we expect women to make history if we aren’t willing to invest in their futures? Well, November 3 gave us a pretty good example of what that history can look like. Just days ago, history was waiting to be made. Today, we’re living in it. But before we get too comfortable celebrating, we have to ask ourselves: What does this victory mean for the women and girls still waiting for their chance? Breaking the glass ceiling means nothing if we leave the shattered glass for the next generation to walk on. Acton’s victory reflects what Femergy has advocated for over a decade: recognizing what women can accomplish when given the right opportunities and support. It’s why organizations like Femergy exist: to help build the next generation of firsts. But here’s the thing about making history: It doesn’t automatically change the reality of everyone living in it. Electing a woman doesn’t magically erase the barriers preventing others from reaching their potential. Representation may open the door, but without continued investment in overlooked communities, how many women and girls will actually have the opportunity to walk through it? So, Ohio, what are we prepared to do now? We can’t claim to be moving forward while making decisions that push women and girls backward. For years, women have faced barriers to education, economic mobility, and leadership. One election doesn’t erase those challenges. Take Ohio’s Senate Bill 1, which restricts diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at public colleges and universities. At a time when we should be expanding opportunities for underrepresented communities, policies like these raise serious concerns about the future of support systems designed to help students succeed. The same state celebrating its first woman elected governor is still home to women and girls who lack the resources and opportunities to reach their full potential. The irony is almost impressive. If we want Ohio to be a state of firsts, we must invest in those historically told they couldn’t be one. The question isn’t whether women can lead. November 3 answered that. It’s whether we’re prepared to give the next generation that same opportunity. Now, let’s not pretend the hard work ended when the election results came in. If anything, it’s just beginning. As Ohio prepares to welcome its first woman elected governor, we must also recognize the double standards women in leadership often face. Acton will be expected not only to lead Ohio but also to prove that women belong in positions from which they’ve historically been excluded. While we expect her to show up for us, we must show up for her, too. She may be the first woman elected to this office, but she shouldn’t have to carry the expectations of every woman who never got the chance. That doesn’t mean abandoning accountability. It means holding her to the same fair standards as any governor, advocating for policies that strengthen our communities, and refusing to leave her carrying the weight of progress alone. One woman cannot undo generations of inequality in a single term, no matter how impressive her résumé is. That responsibility belongs to all of us.Nonprofits, businesses, educators, community leaders, elected officials, and everyday Ohioans must work together to turn this historic moment into lasting change. We must continue investing in girls and women, expanding pathways to economic mobility, and creating opportunities for the next generation to lead. Because making history should never be the finish line. It should be the starting point for what’s possible. Ohio has an opportunity to set an example, but it starts with us. We made history on November 3. Now, let’s make sure the next generation doesn’t have to wait another 200 years to do it again. Christina Vera is the Associate Executive Director of Femergy and former President of the Columbus City Schools Board of Education. Maylin Sambois is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Femergy, a Columbus-based nonprofit dedicated to equipping girls and women for economic mobility through education, leadership development, wellness, and career pathways since 2014.To learn more and take action in support of girls and women across Central Ohio, visit www.femergy.org.</div></body>

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Take a breath, Ohio. Yes, you read that right. After months of campaigning, political debates, and endless election ads, Ohio has reached a historic moment worth recognizing, regardless of where we stand politically. On November 3, Ohio made history by electing Dr. Amy Acton as our state’s first woman elected...

Opinion: A First, Not a Finish Line

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Take a breath, Ohio. Yes, you read that right. After months of campaigning, political debates, and endless election ads, Ohio has reached a historic moment

Opinion: A First, Not a Finish Line

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