March is here, and you know what that means: it’s Women’s History Month! But what is Women’s History Month? Women’s History Month is a time for us to appreciate and acknowledge the contributions that women have made to society. Oftentimes--in English, History, and Science--the focus is on men.
Despite their lack of recognition, women have contributed much to all aspects of society: science, math, social justice, politics, civil rights, activism. The women who were nearly erased from history deserve appreciation.
Starting in the 1970s the week of March 8th was recognized as “Women’s History Week,” and in 1980, Jimmy Carter encouraged the nation to celebrate with appropriate activities for “National Women’s History Week.” Congress declared March to be National Women’s History Month in 1987. March 8th had previously been recognized as International Women’s Day.
March 8th was the day that women in Soviet Russia gained suffrage in 1917; the day was adopted as a National holiday there. In 1975, the United Nations adopted the day, and now it is celebrated in many countries around the globe. International Women’s Day means different things for different people: in some countries it’s a day of protest, in others is a day of celebration of how far women have come, in others it’s ignored altogether.
This month, we will be publishing a series of articles that highlight and acknowledge women who have made remarkable and sometimes ignored contributions to society--stay tuned for the articles!
Ladies, don’t forget to pull out your red bandanas for March 8th!
Sources
“International Women's Day.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Mar. 2019, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day.
MacGregor, Molly Murphy. “Why March Is National Women's History Month.” National Women's History Alliance, National Women's History Alliance, nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/.