Every Feb. 28—and sometimes Feb. 29—the clock strikes midnight and thus begins the annual Women’s History Month. Since 1980, the month of March is dedicated to celebrating the achievements and contributions of women, no matter how big or small. Even though it may seem obvious, many people tend to question why it is necessary to dedicate a whole month to women. In my experience, there have been times when I have heard the occasional question: “why is there no Men’s History Month?”
To put it shortly: every month is men’s history month. Contributions made by men have been celebrated in the United States since Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. This goes without saying, but I guess I have to say it for those who do not understand: women have always been inferior in comparison to men. This does not mean that Women’s History Month was made to prove that “women are better than men.” It simply means that we need this month to celebrate the women in our lives and credit them to the same appraisal that men are. To do this, we need to understand exactly why there is no official men’s history month.
- Men have not been systematically oppressed for centuries.
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Women not having the same opportunities as men is only one of the many examples of oppression. Women were often told they were not allowed to work in a certain job because it was a “man’s job.” Today, women are able to work in the same careers as men but are still oppressed because of the gender wage gap.
- Men have never fought for “men’s rights.”
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That is because there is no reason to fight—rights for men are a default. Women, on the other hand, have fought for their rights to vote, to be educated, to earn an equal wage, etc. There have been countless women who have devoted their lives to fight against gender discrimination and prejudice.
- Men are celebrated every day.
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This country is run by men. Since the nation declared its independence, from George Washington to Joe Biden, every person who has run this country has been a man. Not to mention, there are multiple national holidays that are named after men in U.S. history—Washington’s Birthday, Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day—and there is not a single one named after a woman.
- There simply is no need for a men’s history month.
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Not only is this country run by men, this country’s history is all men. For centuries, women were only allowed to be housewives. While this is admirable, this “housewife” title was not special. Almost every woman was a housewife. Men’s names were known and are written all over U.S. history textbooks because they got to be scientists, engineers and CEOs. Men have had a headstart for two to three centuries in building names for themselves; women have only recently gotten the chance to.
Women’s History Month is a celebration of women, not a degradation of men. We recognize the achievements of men too, but it’s also nice to recognize those of women because they are often not talked about as much. Whether it be your mom, your sister, or a friend, take a second to tell them you appreciate them this Women’s History Month.