As many of you know, March is Women’s History Month. It follows Black History Month (February) and comes before Arab American Heritage Month (April). But what is the significance of Women’s History Month? What is the history behind women’s history? Most importantly, what does it mean to women of the 21st century compared to back then?
Women’s History Month is important for many reasons. IB Sophomore Gwendolyn Connors says that it’s important because “many of women’s achievements are overlooked, forgotten, or not even mentioned at all.” Likewise, IB Junior Preslie Anderson believes this month is important because it allows us to “recognize the amazing women who have made significant contributions to our world.” With that being said, it’s clear that young women are aware of the significance of Women’s History Month, but what about men? While studies have shown that many men support gender equality, they don’t necessarily know much about women’s history. Like Connors says, “just because women are sometimes forgotten in history, it doesn’t mean we haven’t done anything at all.” Female contribution is critical to societal development, and this month proves that.
Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission, led by Gerda Lenner, planned a “Women’s History Week” falling in line with International Women’s Day (March 8th). The movement spread rapidly, leading to the “National Women’s History Project,” a project designed to advocate for women’s history everywhere. As this grew in popularity, the project became known as the “National Women’s History Alliance.” During this process, President Jimmy Carter signed the first presidential proclamation for National Women’s History Week in 1980. Seven
years later, Congress passed an official law stating that March would be recognized as Women’s History Month. It’s quite impressive that this only took nine years, considering the fact it took roughly 50 years for female suffragists to earn the right to vote.
It’s been 38 years since Women’s History Month has become recognized on a national scale, and the impact remains the same. “I feel empowered to have a month to remember our history,” says Connors, “it means a lot to learn about women who used to not have voices.” As for the month of March, both Anderson and Connors agree that the month doesn’t matter as long as women receive the recognition they deserve. As a young woman myself, I agree wholeheartedly. Having a month dedicated to our history is rewarding. We may not struggle like our ancestors did, but we certainly face adversity on a daily basis. This month is a good reminder that we are moving forward. There’s a lot of turmoil regarding women’s rights at the moment, so it can be easy to forget the progress we have made. Now that you’ve learned the true significance behind this month, don’t be afraid to make herstory! You never know how it’ll affect the lives of your daughters, granddaughters, and all the women who come after.
