News & Events

Welcome to the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame News and Events page! Check back frequently for news about our upcoming events, ongoing projects and ways you can get involved. You can also visit our social media page for up-to-the-minute information.

Check out our full December/January Newsletter!

Women's Perspectives: Celebrating Voice and Vision  

19th Annual Induction Ceremony Theme & Date Announced

On October 18, 2012, the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame will host its 19th Annual Induction Ceremony, Women's Perspectives: Celebrating Voice and Vision. This year's theme was chosen to recognize the contributions of women who have viewed life through various veils and lenses and helped us open our eyes, ears, and hearts to the world around us. They have given voice to or empowered those in need and made visible the invisible. By sharing their perspectives, they have helped us examine important issues and question what is true and valuable over time.

The 2012 CWHF Inductees, who will be announced in late January 2012, have been widely recognized for their talents, both nationally and internationally, and their successes are a direct result of their courage, compassion, and conviction. They are sure to thrill and inspire the more than 800 anticipated guests and will join a long list of remarkable women in the Hall who serve as positive role models for the next generation of women leaders.

Please save the date and help us honor this remarkable group of journalists, photographers, and communicators who not only help us to see where we've been, but offer a light for the path ahead.

2011 Grasso Grant Funds Work to End Human Trafficking in New London

In 2011, the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame launched the Ella T. Grasso Leadership in Action Grant Program, designed to honor the late Governor Ella Tambussi Grasso and her lifetime of public service and civic engagement. Our goal is to provide opportunities for young women in their junior or senior year at a Connecticut college or university to have real-world leadership-in-training experiences that foster social change. Believing that there is no better way to learn leadership skills than by developing and implementing a project plan and also that young people have the potential to find creative new ways to address community issues and problems, we strive to encourage and applaud their ingenuity. Grant recipients design and implement a community action project from start to finish and report on their results. Final reports and materials will be archived on the CWHF website to serve as a resource for future students and researchers.

The 2011 grant was generously funded by The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and was awarded to Janet Yee Wah Tso, a senior at Connecticut College majoring in Gender & Women's Studies. Ms. Tso is the founder and president of Operation 21st Century and will work with the city of New London to make it a "Slave-Free City" by raising awareness of the problem of human 

trafficking and educating the community about its dangers and impacts. Programs will include educational lectures by representatives from the Barnaba Institute in local churches, youth organizations, and schools as well as organized events throughout New London. The project will culminate in an abolitionist conference in February 2012. Tso hopes to inspire New London residents to join the 21st-century Abolitionist Movement to end human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world.

Ms. Tso was first introduced to the issue of human trafficking during her high school years and founded her first anti-trafficking organization in her school, hosting guest lecturers and preparing an annual Abolitionist Fair. In addition to her work locally, she has presented at national and international conferences including events hosted by Yale University, the University of Illinois, the United Nations Mental Health Committee, and the International Education and Resource Network conference in Dakar, Senegal.

Applications for the 2012 Ella T. Grasso Leadership in Action Grant are due by July 15. Click here for details.