Spotlight on two C.O. women leaders in recognition of International Women’s Day

'There is a definite correlation between women participating in our society and things getting better'

(UPDATE: Adding video, comments from Central Oregon women leaders)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- In recognition of female achievement for International Women’s Day, two Central Oregon women shared with us the leaderships role they've taken on.

The vice president of the League of Women Voters in Deschutes County, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to educating voters and supporting a plethora of political issues, celebrated the importance of the holiday.

The organization developed in 1920, in support of women voters.

"Having that right, and what they sacrificed to get that for us was huge!" Vice President Mimi Alkire said Tuesday.

The group conducted a two-year study on affordable housing around the county to encourage policies to take on the housing situation.

“Now the group is working on a statewide task force to determine what is the state of child care in our state," Alkire said.

With the mission to educate voters and influence policy-makers, it grew from 40 members in 2017 to now 134 members, with 80% women.

Before Alkire joined the organization, she demonstrated leadership by working as a math teacher for 30 years.

“Being a math teacher in the '70s and in the 80’s, almost always I was the only woman," Alkire said. "One of my battles in teaching math was teaching girls that they could do it. The reason why they thought they couldn’t was because somebody told them that.”

“There is a definite correlation between women participating in our society and things getting better," Alkire said.

Recognized by the Touchmark senior living community for International Women’s Day, Rosalind Davenport is a Bend woman who also played a powerful role in education as a school principal for six years in California.

“When I started teaching, all the principals were male," Davenport said.

Davenport successfully raised an underperforming school from a 3 out of 10 state ranking to 7 out of 10.

Alkire shared a few words of advice.

“Figure out what you’re good at, and go out there and do it! Don’t let anybody define you.”