March is Women’s History Month, with International Women’s Day falling on March 8th. This is a great time to celebrate all the wonderful women in your life—or just celebrate women in general! Here are a few ideas for how to show a little extra appreciation for the ladies in your life this month.
- Educate Yourself
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Women’s History Month has its name for a reason! Learning about women’s history is essential in order to fully understand and appreciate the hard work that today’s women—as well as those who came before us—have accomplished. Understanding the evolution of women’s rights over time may help to inform our thinking about seemingly common tasks such as working, voting, going to school and other important opportunities that more women have access to today. The National Women’s History Museum (linked here) has some really great resources to check out for information on women’s rights and history.
- Read Women’s Books
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There is so much incredible literature out there that is written by women. And a lot of this literature is often greatly underappreciated—especially books written by women of color. Some incredible woman writers I’d recommend are Jodi Picoult, Cathy Park Hong, Roxane Gay and Jeannette Walls. Additionally, many of our HC Pitt members, including our President Lauren and writer Kendall, expressed their admiration for Toni Morrison. Another of our writers, Emma, highlighted Celeste Ng. Lauren and our editor Alison strongly recommended Gail Simone, with Alison urging, “Please go read her Batgirl run, it will change your life.”
- Watch Woman-directed Films
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Women—both actors and directors—have also been notoriously undervalued for their work in film and television. But some of the most breathtaking and powerful works of film I have ever seen have been directed by women. A huge fan-favorite director at HC Pitt is Greta Gerwig. Her films come highly recommended by our members Emma, Lauren and Alison (as well as myself). Emma and Kendall also expressed their love of the excellent director, actor and screenwriter Sofia Coppola. Additionally, Lauren noted Celine Song, whose directorial debut film “Past Lives” has become critically acclaimed for its deeply personal, moving story. These are just a few of the incredible women in the directing world whose films are definitely worth a watch.
- Listen to Women’s Music
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To remain on the woman artist kick, there are also countless spectacular woman singers and songwriters. I greatly admire Taylor Swift, who has single-handedly become one of the most successful singer-songwriters of our generation and who has inspired millions of women across the globe through her music. Our team at HC Pitt also chimed in with some of their favorite woman artists, with both Lauren and Emma highlighting boygenius—who just won their first Grammy (rightfully so!) Lauren also noted Chappell Roan, a rising Midwestern pop artist with incredible live vocals. Alison shared her current obsession with Paramore’s Hayley Williams. And Kendall expressed her love for Adreinne Lenker. HC Pitt loves women in the music industry, and there are tons of incredible artists out there representing every genre imaginable.
- Show Your Appreciation
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It can mean the world to simply let someone in your life know that you appreciate them. Women of all kinds play essential roles in our lives, and it can be extremely impactful to simply let them know you admire all that they do! Our editor Alison suggested celebrating International Women’s Day by “Just making note of the women in your life! Send them a little message and think about all they do for you!” Likewise, Kendall emphasized her practice of “Thinking about the women in my life who have influenced me and talking to them about how much I appreciate them and everything they do.” A little recognition goes a long way when it comes to showing women that they are valued.
I hope you all take the chance to go out and utilize some of these resources to help uplift and celebrate the wonderful women of the world. And while Women’s History Month is an excellent time to show our appreciation, I want all my lovely ladies out there to know you are loved and appreciated every single day of the year!