Doreen Bogdan-Martin (U.S. Department of State)


Andrea A. Hayes Dixon (Howard University)


Andrea Martínez (Proceso) 


Iga Swiatek (WTA Tour)


Zendaya (Courtesy of zendaya.com)

Firsts for Women: September 2022

Zonta International celebrates "firsts for women" in all different sectors in countries and communities around the world.

Looking back on last month, we acknowledge the following women:

  • Princess Anne – first woman member of the British royal family to "stand guard" during the historic royal mourning tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.
  • Samaro Bannister-Schneider – first woman appointed captain of Cal Maritime’s training ship, TS Golden Bear.
  • Dawn Blake – first Native woman appointed to California’s State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.
  • Doreen Bogdan-Martin – first woman to be elected as secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the main technology agency within the United Nations.
  • Samantha Cristoforetti – first European woman to take over command of the International Space Station.
  • Andrea A. Hayes Dixon – first Black woman appointed to serve as dean of the Howard University College of Medicine.
  • Ronda Engelhardt – first woman to be hired as an amateur scout for Nashville Predators, a professional ice hockey team in the U.S.
  • Jill Gearin – first woman to call play-by-play for the Arizona Diamondbacks, an American professional baseball team.
  • Taylor Hale – first Black woman to be named the winner of Big Brother.
  • Becky Hammon – first rookie coach to win a title in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), a professional basketball league in the U.S.
  • Paula Hammond – first woman elected as chair of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), a trade association representing the transportation construction industry in the U.S.
  • Ada Limón – first woman of Mexican ancestry to be named poet laureate of the U.S.
  • Madonna – first woman to have a top 10 album in five different decades.
  • Belle Mariano – first Filipino woman to win Outstanding Asian Star at the Seoul International Drama Awards.
  • Andrea Martínez – first woman to participate in the highest rung of Mexico's collegiate football league.
  • Jennifer May – first woman appointed as Canada’s ambassador to China.
  • Sondra Miller – first woman to serve as board member on the Idaho Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
  • Pat Mann Phillips – first woman elected chairman of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
  • DJ Perly – first woman turntablist to win two U.S. DMC World DJ Championships.
  • Bridget Stokes – first Black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series for HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show.
  • Iga Swiatek – first Polish woman to win the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.
  • Janet Yang – first Asian American president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  • Zendaya – first Black woman to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series twice for HBO’s Euphoria.

Moments we missed in August:

  • Angela Koogler – first woman to serve as "chief of the boat" on a U.S. Navy submarine.

As an organization that has fought for gender equality for more than 100 years, Zonta International believes it is important to celebrate and honor women who are making history. Each month, we will recognize women who have broken the glass ceiling and set an example for future generations to come.

Do you know of a first for women moment that should be recognized? Share with us at pr@zonta.org. 

1 OCTOBER 2022