March is celebrated as Women’s History Month, a month where we can celebrate women’s long history of strength, resilience, intelligence and fight for equality globally. All across the world, women’s fight for equality is acknowledged and recognized this month. Women have shaped the world and will continue to do so. Whether it be in STEM, art, literature, business, or music, women carved their legacy for many centuries to come. March is a month to recognize the amazing works of our mothers, sisters, cousins, friends, mentors, and all women who play an important role in our lives. Here are some ideas on how to celebrate Women’s History Month with your friends and family!
1. Read Books by Women Authors
Do you love books with great adventure and captivating protagonists? Do you like to sink into a fantasy world full of twisted fantasies that uncover humanity’s deepest and most depraved desires? Take this opportunity to read books by women authors. There is a diverse catalog of novels written by women that will captivate you. Organize a book club or reading group to discuss and share the experience. Some of my favorite books written by women authors are:
- Where the Crawdad Sings by Delia Owens
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- Circe by Madeline Miller
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
2. Support Women-Owned Businesses
Personally, I love shopping. I love to find a new piece for my wardrobe, a new tech device that will make my life so much easier, and a new video game to spend all my free time playing. I love trying cookbooks and making a new recipe or a new art piece to hang in my room. This month is a great month to show support for women entrepreneurs by shopping at women-owned businesses, both online and locally. No matter what your interests are, there is a women-owned business that can cater to them with much love and dedication.
3. Volunteer for Women’s Causes
Another way to strengthen your community and foster a safe space in your area is by giving back to an organization that directly supports women’s rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment. Gather your friends and spend an afternoon volunteering at shelters, creating donation packages, donating clothes and shoes to women’s shelters, or offering your skills to non-profits working on causes that impact women. By uplifting each other, we can grow stronger together.
4. Host a Movie Night Featuring Women in Film
Gather your friends for a fun movie night! Bring your favorite snack, bring the popcorn and your fave pjs, and have a night to watch and discuss films that highlight women’s stories, experiences, and achievements. Some movies I would recommend are:
For a fun laugh, I recommend watching Legally Blonde or Lady Bird.
For my horror or thriller fans, I would recommend Hereditary, Where the Crawdad Sings, or Mother.
For a movie that will tug at your heartstrings, I would recommend Lady Bird, Little Women, or The Color Purple.
5. Foster Connection through conversation
Take this opportunity to grow your community and make your close circle stronger. Life gets busy, whether you are in school, working your shift, or taking care of your family. However, when times are hard, we depend on others and others will depend on us. It is important to lean on each other. It is also important to show the people in your life that you care and love them. Have deep conversations with your loved ones. Create spaces in which vulnerability and transparency are encouraged. This can be a small conversation with your mother or female family member about her own experiences as a woman now and when she was your age or ask for advice on life, relationships, or friends. Take this opportunity to reach out to friends that you haven’t heard from in a long time, visit a sick friend and keep them company, and Facetime a long-distance friend. Find a few minutes in your day to make sure the women in your life know they are appreciated and loved.
Women’s History Month is an opportunity to appreciate and recognize the hard work of the women in the past that gave us the privileges and rights that we have today. Political advocates, writers, musicians, scientists, mothers, daughters, and poets had to work in secrecy. However, their work still outlines their legacy. However, it is also important to acknowledge one another, as the present holds strong and resilient women, and show appreciation and love towards the women in our lives, as this gives us the strength and motivation to keep changing the world.