Why it’s important to celebrate each year

As you may or may not have known, last month was Women’s History Month or International Women’s Month. Whatever you want to call it, the point stays the same: it is a month about honoring the achievements and contributions of women throughout history, despite being on unequal footing for most of history. 

Before it was a month, it was a week. This week was known as “Women’s History Week,” and was only a community celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The week of March 8th was chosen to go along with the previously established International Women’s Day. This celebration began to receive recognition nationwide as other communities began to celebrate their own Women’s History Week.  

In 1980, the National Women’s History Alliance fought for national acknowledgment, and in February 1980, President Jimmy Carter established that March 2nd-8th would be National Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress passed the law 100-9, declaring March Women’s History Month.

For a significant part of history, women have been deprived of certain resources and rights: the right to vote, to work, to own property, and to have a bank account, just to name a few. Women’s History Month gives us a chance to acknowledge all of the contributions women have made to society despite those setbacks. People like Marie Curie, who is known for her studies in radium and finding cancer treatments. Or, Harriet Tubman, known for her bravery in escaping slavery and helping others escape from it. Or even Susan B. Anthony, who played a huge role in the women’s suffrage movement.

There are many ways to celebrate Women’s History Month each year. You can read books by female authors, support businesses owned by women, listen to TED talks or podcasts from women, or maybe just educate yourself about important female figures.