Patch Portrait: Sketching 'Herstory' One Woman at a Time

This week's Patch Portraits was produced and edited by Lisa Cisneros, Andrea Hart and Allison Williams. Check back on Mondays for the next installment.

Also showcased is at the Wilmette Public Library with a big mouth for good causes.

In honor of Women's History Month, we are featuring Des Plaines resident Mary Long, creator of Herstorynetwork.com.

A staunch supporter of women and the mother of a teenage daughter, Long gradually found herself discouraged with the way women are portrayed in media and the idea that we all have to be toothpick-thin to be appreciated and recognized. She also found herself discouraged by the competitive relationships between women. "What happened to us?" she wondered. "We have to stop fighting with each other."

Out of this frustration, Herstorynetwork.com was born, a website devoting to celebrating women and all of their contributions.

The site features women from yesterday and today, as well as young girls who are making a difference. Readers are encouraged to submit their own stories about any woman in their lives.

Long hopes that the site will encourage women everywhere to band together.