Ann Juliano Jawin, founder of the Center for the Women of New York and a pioneer who dedicated her life to women’s equality and empowerment, died on Dec. 31. She was 97 years old.

News of Jawin’s death came less than a month after she celebrated the grand opening of a brand new women’s center in Fort Totten. Members of the community expressed condolences for the pioneer who dedicated her life to women’s equality and empowerment.

Jawin was a staunch advocate for the second wave of women’s liberation in the 1970s. In 1979, she authored “A Woman’s Guide to Career Preparation: Scholarships, Grants, and Loans,” which taught women about financial independence and equal workplace opportunity.

She joined the National Organization for Women (NOW) and served as the chair of the Task Force for Education and Employment. In 1987, Jawin established the Center for the Women of New York (CWNY), which illuminated the importance of pay equity, reproductive rights and the elimination of sex trafficking.

See Ann Juliano Jawin’s interview here.