How and why USA TODAY is recognizing these women

Clearly it’s impossible to choose the definitive 100 Women of the Century. Consider this a representative list of women – a way to spark a conversation.

This project began last year when we were brainstorming ways to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. We recognize that while the 19th Amendment was an incredible accomplishment, in practice many women, most of them women of color, were left on the sidelines. But we also knew this was an opportunity to amplify the work of a rich and diverse group of women.

In January, we asked for your nominations of notable women in a public nomination process that gave our audience an opportunity to suggest individuals we should spotlight. We then assembled panels in each state and nationally to help select the women who would be featured. Many of our panels had to meet over Zoom, instead of in person, because of the pandemic. Panelists talked, argued and eventually came to a consensus.

The editors then had to make choices. And we stuck to the rules. So some women you might expect to see weren't alive in our chosen period of 1920-2020.

We also acknowledged the complicated histories of some of the women on our lists. Alice Paul is an example. Her work was crucial to passing the 19th Amendment, but there's no denying she had a history of blatant racism. It's not our job to sanitize history, and we didn't do that with this project.

In all, over 250 journalists helped create, edit and publish more than 100 stories and videos nationwide. Visit usatoday.com/womenofthecentury.