Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund to honor five women

The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund will honor five women with the Maria Stewart Award, including a top city administrator and a lawyer who practice in the Elm City.

City Community Services Administrator Kica Matos, and Diane Polan, a private attorney, will receive the CWEALF Maria Stewart Award, which goes to women who are "role models in their efforts to advance the cause of equality in Connecticut," the organization said in a statement.

Matos, right, is "a leading advocate for immigrants’ and women’s rights, and is well known for her leadership of Junta for Progressive Action," and CWEALF is honoring her for dedication to community and social service and work to better the lives of under-served women and families in Connecticut, the statement said.

Polan, at right, "has a long history of community service...and has consistently used her knowledge of the law to protect and promote women’s rights," it said and CWEALF is honoring her for her steadfast commitment to feminism and the law.

Other women to be honored by CWEALF are Theresa Canada, at ri ght, top, for her ongoing support and encouragement to women and minority students pursuing their educational goals; Catherine Havens, center, for her dedication and leadership to the advancement of women and girls in Connecticut; and Melodie Peters, bottom, for her commitment to promoting women’s rights and opportunities in the workplace, the statement said.

The awards will be presented at CWEALF’s One Women Makes a Difference event at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza, 100 Berlin Road, Cromwell.
All proceeds benefit the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund. CWEALF is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women, girls, and their families achieve equal opportunities in their personal and professional lives.
CWEALF works on the individual level to ensure women have tools and resources they need to successfully navigate legal and social service systems, while simultaneously advocating for systemic change to ensure that these services work to the benefit of women and low-income families, the statement said Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund is at 135 Broad St., Hartford, and www.cwealf.org.