Women's History Month

By Aubrey Andrade

Women's History Month is celebrated to acknowledge women's contributions in various fields throughout American history and recognize their specific achievements in the United States. The celebration commences on March 1st and ends on March 31st. 

The first Women’s Day celebration in the United States took place in 1909, while in 1981, Congress established National Women’s History Week to be commemorated annually during the second week of March. A year later, in 1982, Congress expanded the week to a month. By 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March Women’s History Week nationwide. In 1986, 14 states declared the entire month of March Women’s History Month, according to the National Women's History Alliance. The Alliance was started by a coalition that lobbied Congress successfully to designate March as Women’s History Month.

Over the past two decades, women have earned an average of 82% of what men earned. The gender pay gap is just one of many examples of inequality that women face in the United States and beyond. It’s hard to believe that less than a century ago, women in the United States were not given many of the same freedoms as their male counterparts, including the right to vote. Celebrating Women’s History Month in March is essential to recognize the tremendous strides that women have made over the decades.
The first Women’s History Month was commemorated on the first anniversary of garment workers’ strikes when 15,000 women marched through lower Manhattan. From 1909 to 1910, immigrant women who worked in garment factories held a strike to protest their working conditions. On November 23, 1909, more than 20,000 Yiddish-speaking immigrants, mostly young women in their teens and early twenties, launched an eleven-week general strike in New York’s shirt-washing industry. Two successful strikes in 1909 and 1910 won power for the union.

Did you know that every Women’s History Month has a different theme? The Women’s History Month for 2024 celebrates “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” Last year’s theme was “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” The theme for 2022 was “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” which was a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during the ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of years that women of all cultures have provided healing and hope throughout history. Finally, In 1987, the theme was “Generations of Courage, Compassion, and Conviction.”

 In 1924, the territory elected the first female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross. Even after 1924, women who were native or belonged to other communities of color were restricted from certain opportunities or faced discriminatory practices from voting by state laws. Wyoming territory was the first place to grant women the right to vote. However, it wasn’t until 1965 that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law and that all women in the US could legally vote. 

March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate and reflect on women's remarkable achievements throughout history. From Rosa Parks' courageous act and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, which led to the integration of public transportation in Montgomery, to Amelia Earhart's 1932 solo flight across the Atlantic as the first woman pilot, and her promotion of women's careers in aviation as one of the founders of the Ninety-Nines, the first professional organization of women pilots. Susan B. Anthony, one of the most prominent leaders of the women's suffrage movement, traveled across the country with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, delivering speeches in support of women's right to vote. Anthony's tireless efforts helped pave the way for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote.

Over 50 women across the country have made significant contributions to National Women's History Month. The Polar Maidens, including Jan Meek, Aeleen Crean O'Brien, Caroline Geraerts, Madhabilata Amrita Mitra, Tanvi Buch, and Dr. Claire Grogan, are explorers of Antarctica. The age range of these women is from 25 to 75 years old, and they aim to study the effects of the harsh environment on their mental and physical health, as well as their recovery at different stages of life. 

Other notable women include Captain Kate McCue, the first female American cruise ship captain, and Samantha Brown, a travel TV host who has visited 62 countries and hosted 10 different travel TV shows. Lastly, Allison Fundis, COO, and underwater explorer has participated in over 50 underwater expeditions since 2006. In addition, there are also activists such as Ami Vitale, a National Geographic photographer who has traveled to over 100 countries, and Raquel Willis, an author and activist who advocates for the rights of black transgender people. 

There are many more women across the country and nationwide who have made significant contributions and continue to do so today. It is important to recognize and celebrate the history made by these women and those who will continue to make history in the future.