WASHINGTON - A parade of female political superstars appeared at a raucous lunch hosted by Emily's List today to celebrate gains made by Democratic women during the 2008 election and in President-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet.

A crowd of about 2,000 people -- most of them women -- applauded and cheered wildly when Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Labor Secretary nominee Hilda Solis, Homeland Security Secretary nominee Janet Napolitano and others were introduced at the Washington Hilton.

Taking the podium shortly after 2 p.m., a relaxed-sounding Mrs. Clinton praised Emily's List, an influential political action committee that raises money for liberal women candidates.

"Emily's List has been the original hammer that helped shatter so many glass ceilings," Mrs. Clinton told the group. "Those 18 million cracks are very personal to me."

In a reference to her new role as American's chief foreign envoy, she called on the group to work to eradicate poverty, disease and repression around the world.

During the two-and-a-half-hour event, a long line of prominent women politicians took the stage to praise Emily's List's efforts on their behalf, and repeatedly touted their support for a bill that would reverse a Supreme Court ruling that put time limits on when a person can seek redress for wage discrimination.

The bill, which President George W. Bush threatened to veto, is strongly backed by Mr. Obama and has been characterized as one of the most important pro-worker pieces of legislation in the early days of his administration.

Emily's List President Ellen R. Malcolm said the landscape for women's issues will change dramatically under an Obama administration -- but also because of women who won seats in the House, Senate and state legislatures in 2008.

"Our pro-choice Democratic women won critical races to build the political force that will change the direction of our country," she said, noting that today there are 61 Democratic women in the House - more than five times when her organization began funding women candidates in 1988.

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, the first African-American woman to be elected to Congress from Wisconsin, referred to Ms. Pelosi as "the lady in satin and steel. ... General Nancy Pelosi."

She praised Ms. Pelosi's efforts to push the pay-equity bill through the House. "She's not just stomping out injustice but stomping it out in four inch heels," she roared, taking off one of her own shoes and banging on the podium as the room went wild.

During the 2007-2008 election cycle, Emily's List raised more than $43 million to recruit and support liberal women candidates.