Robin Lewy, Director of Education of the Rural Women’s Health Project was awarded the 2013 Elizabeth Cady Stanton Award by the Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women at the University of Florida’s President’s House on March 27, 2013.

Lewy was presented the award by long-time Commission member Angel Kwolek-Folland, professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Florida. The Elizabeth Cady Stanton award recognizes Stanton’s work to establish policies which establish equality for people of color and women.

The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Award recognizes women who have a long history of service to the issues of women’s rights in the Gainesville area, but whose work has gone unrecognized.

Remarking on Lewy’s 22 years at the RWHP, Kwolek-Folland emphasized Lewy’s work in prevention, health education and policy work around the challenges facing immigrant women in accessing health care.

In her acceptance speech, Lewy referred often to the words of Elizabeth Cady Stanton when she stated that, “The history of the past is but one long struggle upward to equality.” Lewy went on to say, “It seems this upward struggle is still present as we continue the valid struggle for a Comprehensive Immigration Reform that will fairly recognize the labor of non-high skilled immigrants such as those the RWHP serves: those who pick the food that graces your table, who clean the chins of our elders and change the diapers of our children.”  She went on to remark that in Florida we are struggling for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, but that even with its presence, 11 million undocumented and millions of other immigrants in their first 5 years of status will receive no benefit.”

“I greatly appreciate this award and will share it with the amazing team of women at the RWHP, past and present, and with the women we serve throughout North Central Florida.  This will give us the added stamina for the ‘upward struggle’ for the rights of people of color, for comprehensive health care for women and equality.”