The Monroe County Women’s Commission, in celebration of Women’s History month, awarded certificates of appreciation to five local women who best exemplify this year’s theme of “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence.”

The women were honored at the Monroe county Commissioners’ meeting this week, where the commissioners presented them with the awards.

Women honored are:

• Tameko Patterson, founding member of Monroe United, and a longtime advocate for nonviolence.

• Stroud Area Regional Police Chief Jennifer Lyon, who established the school resource officer program for the Stroudsburg Area School District.

• State Rep. Maureen Madden, for her continuing work to effect legislation to protect women, children and LGBT people from violence.

• The Rev. Cindy Crowner, one of the founding members of Monroe United, who has made a lifetime commitment to promoting peace and community harmony.

• Leila Bouchkouk, student at ESU who has spoken at the United Nations on violence against women, and is active on campus with organizing other students to work toward school safety, gun reform and who also reestablished the campus branch of Rotaract, the youth branch of Rotary International.