“Women are the backbone of our societies. When they rise, nations rise with them.” Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopia’s first woman head of state, serving as the country’s president from October 2018 to October 2024

Women’s History Month, celebrated every March, honors the contributions, achievements, and leadership of women throughout our nation’s history. Beginning as a week-long celebration in 1981 and expanded to a full month by the U.S. Congress in 1987, the national observance recognizes the vital roles women have played in shaping culture, science, politics, civil rights, and community life. The month serves both as a celebration of progress and as a reminder of the ongoing work needed to achieve gender equity.

The theme for Women’s History Month 2026, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” highlights how women are driving solutions to major global challenges, including economic inequality and healthcare disparities.

Whittier Street Health Center’s women-led leadership team and dedicated staff daily drive positive social change for low-income, underserved and vulnerable communities. Our president and CEO Frederica M. Williams stands at the forefront of the movement for equitable access to healthcare, social justice, diversity, and inclusion – championing the belief that everyone deserves to live a healthy and empowered life.

Under Williams’ leadership Whittier has transformed from a community clinic into a nationally recognized model for urban health equity, with a strong focus on social justice, economic empowerment, and culturally responsive care. At the helm of Whittier since 2002, her long tenure and impactful governance  has led to multiple recognitions across healthcare, community leadership, and diversity advocacy.

Williams was named one of the 25 Influential Black Women in Business by the Network Journal In New York in 2012, the same year she received a commendation from the White House Communications Agency for exceptional community service. In 2020 Willilams was the recipient of the Dean Shinagel Award for Service to others from the Harvard University Extension School Alumni Association and in 2023 was honored with the Joan Wallace Leadership Award. Also among her many accolades are the Outstanding Massachusetts Health Center Executive Director Award from the Massachusetts League of Community Health Center, the Pinnacle Award from the Women’s Network of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, and recognition by the Boston Business Journal as one of the Power 50 Bostonians.

As an organization, Whittier Street Health Center has received numerous awards, reflecting Williams’ strategic leadership and long-term vision.

Whittier hosts a wide range of programs addressing women’s health and well-being, including:

• The Centering Pregnancy Program: OB/GYN Department utilizes a group model of care delivery shown to improve pregnancy outcomes for at-risk populations
• Mammography Suite: In partnership with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Whittier offers on-site breast cancer screening and education, making mammography more accessible for women in underserved communities
• Moms Do Care: Free program provides services for pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder
• Whittier’s Post Prison Release Program: Support program assists women as they re-enter the community post incarceration and transition from prison to productive citizens
• Whittier’s Youth Enrichment Program: Provides youth development services, healthcare, social supports, mentoring and career planning to help young women attain their goals and reach full potential
• Women for Whittier: Advocacy group dedicated to strengthening, supporting, and uplifting, women, children, and families and advancing innovative solutions to address disparities in women’s and children’s health