Every year in March we celebrate Women’s History Month and every year there is a different theme. This year’s theme is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations”. During Women’s History Month, various events and initiatives are organized to acknowledge and highlight the significant contributions of women throughout history.
It’s important to take the time to recognize all the significant contributions women have made to the world because, unfortunately, women’s accomplishments are often overlooked and undervalued and their roles in national and global history often go unnoticed, mainly because their focus is most often on achieving tangible goals rather than seeking recognition.
How This Annual Celebration Evolved
International Women’s Day, established in 1909 to honor women’s historical contributions and acknowledge their ongoing struggle for recognition and rights, had been celebrated annually on March 8th. In the 1970s, schools in the United States began dedicating March to studying women’s history, issues, and contributions. In 1987, Congress specifically designated March to recognize and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of women in American history.
Check out the following timeline that goes back 117 years, guiding the way for Women’s History Month:
- 1908 – Over 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York City demanding better pay and voting rights.
- 1909 – The first Women’s Day was organized in the United States by the Socialist Party. This day was to remember the women’s strike that took place a year earlier in New York City.
- 1911 – The Socialist International established an International Women’s Day to honor women’s rights in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.
- 1920 – The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in America.
- 1975 – The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day March 8.
- 1978 – The first Women’s History Week started in the school district of Sonoma, California. Presentations, contests, and a parade were held all week to bring attention to women’s rights in history.
- 1981 – President Jimmy Carter declared the first official Women History Week for March 2 to March 9.
- 1987 – Many states already had been dedicating a full month to celebrating women, but in 1987, Congress made it official by passing a proclamation establishing Women’s History Month.
Remarkable Women
Throughout history there have been many women whose contributions have advanced art, music, science, and society. Here are just a few of the millions of important women in history:
- Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote novels that popularized the anti-slavery campaign.
- Susan B. Anthony led the charge of winning voting rights for women by establishing the National Woman’s Suffrage Association.
- Emily Dickinson transformed the art of poetry.
- Catherine Brewer Benson became the first woman to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in 1840 from Georgia Female College, the first college in the world allowed to grant degrees to women.
- Hattie Caraway of Arkansas was the first woman elected to the Senate in 1932.
- Sandra Day O’Connor is the first woman Supreme Court Justice in 1981.
- Lilly Ledbetter is an activist for women’s pay equality who is behind the legislation that eases the time limitations of filing a pay discrimination claim.
- Kamala Harris is the first woman vice president of the United States.
There are countless women who have made the world a better place by securing the right to vote, fighting for workplace advancement, and many other remarkable achievements.
Let’s celebrate all the trailblazing women who paved the way for future generations and let’s also be sure to honor the extraordinary women in all our lives, and not just during Women’s History Month, but throughout the year.
