The Motivator

Ruth Martin

Senior Vice President and Chief Workplace Justice Officer for MomsRising

Born and raised in Jane Lew, Ruth Martin is an activist, a feminist, a wife and mother, and always a Mountaineer. She grew up among strong, hard-working Appalachian women often bound by circumstance and politics. As an adult, she has dedicated her life to empowering and advocating for women like the ones she admired as a child. “I want all women to know that their voices and their stories matter,” Martin says. “Women should never feel like they aren’t doing enough to make a difference.”

Since she began her career, Martin has been leading grassroots campaigns that have empowered women to demand equal pay, equal treatment, and equal rights. Through her work with People for the American Way, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and MomsRising, she has been laying infrastructure that will ensure that all women across the nation will be able to make choices about their lives that are best for their families for generations to come.

The mother of two young daughters, Martin is passionate about achieving election reforms, fixing workplace issues that unfairly affect women, securing women’s right to make private decisions about their own bodies, and encouraging all women to use their voice to speak out against injustice.

“How can we stand up as women and be a voice for the people who need us?”

“West Virginia has always led the charge and done incredible things,” she says. “People are quick to count us out, but they might not know that West Virginia was one of the earlier states to ratify the 19th amendment securing a woman’s right to vote, one of the first states to legally protect the rights of working pregnant women, and one of the first states to adopt a universal pre-K program. When we pass legislation for the greater good, we all benefit.”

For Martin, a staunch advocate for empowering women through legislative change, nothing is more important than securing a woman’s right to choose and making sure that women have a seat at every table where decisions that affect us all are being made. “Women are and have always been the backbone of progress and change in this country,” she says. “We have to trust women to make the best choices for themselves and their families.”

When asked what her superpower is, Martin says she knows how to rally people to get things moving in a forward-thinking direction. “The people of West Virginia need to stand together to make necessary changes that benefit all of us. There have been nefarious forces out there working to divide us for years, but that is not who we are at our core. West Virginians have always stuck together and will always stick together to make things happen. That is West Virginia Strong.”

Written by Megan Huff

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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.