The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) hosted its annual event to commemorate March as Women’s History Month, focusing on the 2015 theme of “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives.” The hour-long event featured Chicago broadcasting legend and beloved media maven Merri Dee, who shared her motivating story of achievements in the face of adversity. Over 75 people attended the event held at the Michael A. Bilandic Building in Chicago.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Women’s History Movement and the National Women’s History Project (NWHP), which led a coalition that successfully lobbied Congress to designate March as Women’s History Month. IDHR Director Rocco Claps believes that the annual event allows attendees to reflect on past achievements and rededicate the unfinished work of fighting for women’s equality.

“Through much sacrifice of generations, women have had to make bold moves and stand up to have their rights recognized, including the right to vote and serve in our nation’s military,” Director Claps said. “Today, because of their resilience, we see women playing a greater role in the workforce than ever before. From shop floors to executive suites at Fortune 500 companies, women leaders are represented in almost every aspect of the workplace, but there is still more work to do.”

Keynote Speaker Merri Dee shared life-lessons from her recently-published memoirs, Life Lessons on Faith, Forgiveness & Grace. Her stories reflected the pain of losing her mother at a very young age, being the victim of domestic violence, and how she rose from a harrowing kidnapping and attempted murder to continue a successful career in the public arena. Dee currently serves on the Illinois Human Rights Commission and the Serve Illinois Commission, as well as the President of AARP Illinois, which has 1.7 million members.

“It isn’t what happened, it’s how you react and come out of it,” Merri Dee said. “No matter what happens to you, you can get through life anyway.”

For more information on IDHR and future programs, visit www.illinois.gov/dhr.