March is Women’s History Month!

Since 1995, the month of March is designated to be Women’s History Month to celebrate, honor, and recognize the many contributions of women in American history. Why did the government decide just 26 years ago to acknowledge the contributions of women in history? Well, Women’s History Month began as a week-long local celebration in the small city of Santa Rosa, California! In efforts to correlate with International Women’s Day on March 8, organizers chose that week to recognize the many successes of women in our long, long history. The movement spread quickly throughout various communities, and in February 1980, President Jimmy Carter officially declared the week of March 8th to be National Women’s History Week. By 1995, with the help of Congress, the presidents began to designate March as Women’s History Month. 

Every year, The National Women’s History Alliance selects a theme for the celebration, and for 2022, the theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”. This theme can be looked at in two ways, for one, it is a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic. The second meaning is recognition of the thousands of ways women in all cultures have provided healing and hope through history. 

The theme for 2020 was “Valiant Women of the Vote”, celebrating the women who fought long and hard for voting rights in the United States for all women in the 20th and 21st century. In 2021, this theme was expanded as “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced”, honoring multicultural suffragists and voting rights activists’ push for equality even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are some of the contributions of women in history?

  • Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who wrote about her experiences during World War II in Germany and eventually in the concentration camps. Her diary was published after she passed away and has been translated in over 70 languages. Her diary is used to educate people about the very real experiences during World War II and serves as inspiration and hope to others.

  • Maya Angelou grew up in Arkansas in the 1930’s and shared her experiences of racism and discrimination through her works of poetry. She was also an outspoken civil rights activist and her works have been used as inspiration for civil rights for many years.

  • Rosa Parks was also a prominent Civil Rights Activist whose actions sparked various protests across the United States in the late 1950s. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat leading to a 13-month bus boycott. Rosa Parks worked directly in the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and advocated for the rights of African Americans in the United States.

  • Malala Yousafzai is a women’s rights activist from Pakistan. She was only 15 years old when she spoke about women’s rights to education after the Taliban banned women from attending school. She was attacked and shot in the head yet survived and lives today as an outspoken advocate. She is the youngest recipient ever of the Nobel Peace Prize, receiving it at 17 years old. 

  • Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, paving the way for women in aviation. She embarked on her flying journey in 1920, and shortly after receiving her pilot license, she set multiple aviation records. She, unfortunately, disappeared in the Pacific Ocean while trying to complete a flight across the globe. Her contribution to flight has never been forgotten.

While this is not an exhaustive list by any means, women throughout history have been involved in many, many facets of politics, activism, and arts. 

Here’s how YOU can be a Prevention Partner, now that you know about women’s history month:

  • You can read and learn more about women’s history month and the National Women’s History Alliance by navigating to this website: https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/

  • You can research more contributions from women throughout history.

  • You can recognize and appreciate the women and female figures in your life showing thanks and gratitude for all they do.