Building a Legacy of Women’s Leadership

by Danielle Oviedo

Register Her Board Member

When people ask me why I fight for women's representation, I simply show them a picture of my daughter. Looking into her eyes, I see both hope and urgency. As a Mexican American mother, I carry the weight of generational expectations while striving for a future where my daughter’s voice will be heard.

Growing up in a Mexican household, I was surrounded by a loving and supportive family who encouraged me to dream big. However, I often felt the pressure of cultural expectations placed on women, especially outside my home. I would hear remarks that I was “too opinionated” or “too strong.” These messages were often unspoken but were felt subtly through how I was treated, the assumptions others made about me, and the opportunities I was encouraged or discouraged to pursue. When I decided to pursue my master’s degree with a 6-month-old daughter, I faced skepticism and judgment. Yet every time I looked at my baby girl, I knew I had to persist.

The past decade of my life has been dedicated to mission-driven work from higher education to reproductive rights to news literacy education. Each role has been chosen with purpose, fueled by the desire to create systemic change. When I encounter attempts to silence women’s voices or limit their choices, I think of my daughter’s future. Instead of allowing fear to paralyze me, I use it as motivation to take action. This is why organizations like Register Her are crucial. They transform concern into concrete change through the power of women’s votes.

Serving on the board of Register Her is not just a responsibility. It is my way of turning hope into action. Every woman we register to vote is another step toward gender parity in leadership, another crack in the glass ceiling, and another voice added to the chorus demanding change.

My greatest hope is that my daughter will remember me not as someone who stayed silent, but as someone who stood up, spoke out, and worked alongside others to build a more equitable future. Through Register Her, we’re not just registering voters - we’re building a legacy of women’s leadership for generations to come.