One of Maureen Pelton’s, MSSW ‘86, lifelong commitments has been her leadership and work to empower women. Following Gloria Steinem’s recent passing, Maureen shared her memories (some quite recent) of meeting and working with Gloria Steinem.   

“I was fortunate to spend time with Gloria on several occasions, usually discussing new ways of leadership, and had the honor of introducing her at the inaugural event for Global Rights for Women in 2017,” she said. “I was fortunate to see her recently at her home where a Talking Circle was discussing how important it is for women to own and claim the emerging opportunities for the ecosystem around women in sports. It could be a paradigm shifter. She instilled hope in me when I became frustrated with the patriarchal system. She was a fierce advocate for humanity’s potential if half the population could have equity and equality. As a social worker, I have a systems view and approach, which Gloria embodied and vocalized with such grace. Women’s rights are human rights.” 

Students at the school have benefited from Maureen’s commitment to women’s rights and empowerment. She established the Maureen Pelton Hartwell Fund for Women’s Rights whose priority areas include sexual violence, reproductive rights, human trafficking, patriarchy and policy, gender socialization and gender norms, global gender gaps, and women’s empowerment.