[media-credit name=’MATTHEW KUTZ/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]The Wisconsin Women’s Network celebrated International Women’s Day with an event titled “Uncommon Lives of Common Women” Tuesday night at the Central Madison Public Library.

In an effort to honor the contributions ordinary women have made to society, the network gave all attendees a free copy of the new book, “Uncommon Lives of Common Women: The Missing Half of Wisconsin History,” by Victoria Brown. The book tells the stories of 37 American women and the impact they made on history.

Copies of the book are available at all public libraries in Wisconsin and are available at no charge through the Wisconsin Women’s Network.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Department of Workforce Development Administrator Frances Huntley-Cooper attended the event. Each woman read a selected story from the new book and offered personal reasons to celebrate March’s Women’s History Month.

According to Mary Ann Fahl, coordinator for the network, women’s history has not been adequately covered in the past. As a nonpartisan coalition working to improve the status of women in Wisconsin, the goal of the event and the network is to give credit to women who deserve it.

Kathleen Falk, the first female to serve as Dane County executive, mentioned the importance of future generations maintaining the tradition of recognizing women and telling their stories.

“It’s a shame we have to do this, but the next generation won’t have to,” Falk said.

Each woman read a story they felt related to them. Falk read a story about a female pioneer in the 1800s that struggled to maintain a farm and raise children.

Bradley followed, reading a story about a female in pursuit of a law career. As the first woman to win a contested election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Bradley said she understood the hardships women of the past endured. Huntley-Cooper continued with a story about a black female candy maker.

Huntley-Cooper also offered advice to the audience.

“Never did I think I’d be considered someone who would make history,” Huntley-Cooper said. However, Huntley-Cooper was the first African-American mayor in Fitchburg, Wis.

The Wisconsin Women’s Network wants to take its efforts beyond International Women’s Day and the month of March. To do so, the network recently launched a middle-school essay contest. The goal of the contest is to get young people involved in the process of honoring women that have contributed to their communities. The network also plans to sponsor more events in Madison throughout the month.

“Young people must understand ordinary people can do extraordinary things,” Fahl said.

The book also features several stories of women who contributed to the University of Wisconsin. Edna Philips Chynoweth, a founding member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom in Madison in the 1920s, tells her story of the inequality between men and women at UW. Women at the time received diplomas at the Old Congressional Church, while men received theirs in the State Capitol.

Falk made it clear the contribution of women helping each other to gain equality in the world has continued even into the present.

“I don’t forget how we stand on each other’s shoulders,” Falk said. “You hold me up, I hold you up.”