Women’s History Month is an annual observance throughout the month of March to celebrate and honor the contributions of women to society.
The month was first recognized as a single week in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter, originating from a local Women’s History Week in Sonoma County, California where they started the week to align with International Women’s day on March 8. It wasn’t until 1987 when Congress officially designated the month as Women’s History Month.
Throughout history, women’s contributions have often been overlooked, despite the many outstanding women from the past and present who have contributed immensely to society.
One outstanding woman is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who served as the second woman on the Supreme Court of the United States starting in 1993 until her death in 2020. Prior to becoming a justice, she worked as a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Here is where she argued several landmark Supreme Court cases that challenged gender discrimination.
Dr. De Diego says, “We can thank her for a lot of the rights she fought for for women, that’s why I adore her. We can thank her for things like women getting the right to own their own credit card and our own bank accounts, simple things like that we just take for granted.”
Another significant woman is Angela Merkel, who served as the first female Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She challenged traditional gender norms, becoming known for her incredible leadership through major global problems, despite being in a field that has been historically dominated by men.
Dr. De Diego says, “She kept Germany in order, and raised them to the top, kept them fiscally responsible, and brought them up to a very strong standing in Europe… to probably one of the most fiscally responsible world powers of the earth. Overall, she was a great leader for Germany.”
A prominent woman from American history is Jane Addams, who was a pioneering social reformer and activist who co-founded Hull House in Chicago in 1889; which was one of the first settlement houses in the U.S that provided education, healthcare, and social services to immigrants and the poor. She helped to create programs that improved the lives of children, women, and workers.
Ms. Burch says, “Jane Addams really cared about the poor and wanted to meet them where they were at, and valued their input into what would best help them to improve their situation in life. She was good at bringing communities together, and serving women in the community…she is the founder of the whole social work movement. She had a huge impact on our whole country for decades to come afterward, I think that’s really inspiring.”
Mrs. Reilly says, “It is usually that the women who are most noteworthy in history are the ones that step outside the traditional expectations and norms for women within their own historical context.”
Women such as Alice Paul, Sojourner Truth, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and many more challenged traditional gender norms in order to fight for their cause of equality and overall achieve change in their nation. Other women like Amelia Earhart faced challenges for being a woman in a male-dominated society, and despite that, have become notable historical figures.
Women’s History Month is important because it spotlights these women who have made huge contributions to the world that aren’t typically recognized in the main storyline of history.
Mrs. Reilly says, “The history of the United States has often been told through the male lens. So it’s important to recognize women for their contributions and also to recognize women through the eyes and stories of women, and not men telling women’s stories.”
