American TV actress Molly McCook once said, “Women should be celebrated every day, but a month dedicated to female empowerment is extremely special.” That’s what everyone should think of March as. Not as another time of the year. Not as the third month of the calendar. But as a time to honor the accomplishments of women and give praise to them for being exceptional human beings. But why? Well, March is Women’s History Month, baby!
Women’s History Month doesn’t have a single definition. It’s an umbrella term that has plenty of components with uniquely distinct stories. Together, these components create what I consider to be one of the most important months of the year. While women can be honored at any time, March is the best time to do so.
Origins Of The Month
You can’t celebrate Women’s History Month without knowing its origins, which can be traced back to California in the 1970s. In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women began to plan a Women’s History Week celebration. While planning the celebration, the organizers selected the week of March 8 to host it since International Women’s Day was in that week. The movement to make Women’s History Week a reality spread throughout Sonoma County as communities outside the county began planning their own Women’s History Week celebrations.
In 1980, national recognition of Women’s History Week began to be lobbied by the National Women’s History Project. The lobbying was successful, and in February of that year, President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation that declared the week of March 8 as Women’s History Week. Seven years later, Women’s History Week was expanded to Women’s History Month by the U.S. Congress.
Feminist Historical Events To Laud
Celebrating historical events planned and hosted by women is an excellent way to honor Women’s History Month. By celebrating these events, we’re giving praise to the efforts of women and the achievements they’ve made.
One event we should all celebrate is the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, which not only discussed women’s rights but also led to the eventual passing of the 19th Amendment. One notable moment of the convention was the “Declaration of Sentiments,” a document that highlights the oppression against women in education, politics, employment, and numerous other aspects. Many of the convention’s women attendees signed the declaration, demonstrating the fortitude women had in obtaining equal rights.
Another event worth celebrating is the passing of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational activities and programs that receive financial assistance from the government. Thanks to Title IX, women have much more freedom in their academic lives. They’re able to play sports, have higher chances of getting admitted to college, and have more protection from sexual assault. If you’re a woman, and you play sports or are going to college, you should definitely revere Title IX because without it, your chances of playing sports or going to college would be slim.
Eminent Women To Honor
Historical events spearheaded by women are a remarkable element of Women’s History Month. But we can’t celebrate Women’s History Month without honoring the women themselves!
Throughout history, there have been tons of women who impacted society. One of them is Susan B. Anthony, one of the most influential women’s rights activists in the 19th century. During her career, Anthony worked with Elizabeth Cady Stanton in advocating for women’s rights. Together, they were editors of The Revolution, a newspaper that addressed equality and women’s rights. Anthony also made numerous speeches, including “Failure is Impossible.”
Throughout her life, Anthony faced some barriers, such as getting arrested for voting in 1872. However, Anthony didn’t let those barriers diminish her determination to obtain equal rights for women. She continued her efforts, leading her to become an illustrious figure in women’s rights.
Another woman we should all eulogize is Harriet Tubman, who not only helped African Americans escape slavery but risked her life in doing so.
An escaped slave herself, Tubman spent her entire life leading the Underground Railroad, a series of paths that enslaved people used to reach the free states and even Canada and Mexico. According to biography.com, Tubman made about 13 trips in the Underground Railroad, demonstrating her courage to help as many enslaved people as possible, even though she could have gotten caught by slaveholders.
During the Civil War, Tubman served as a Union spy who strived to free as many African Americans as possible. One thing she did as a spy was plan a raid to free people who were enslaved in the Combahee River plantations in South Carolina. Tubman knew being a spy was dangerous, for she’d be hanged if she got caught. But despite the risks, Tubman did what she wanted to do, which was freeing as many of her people as possible.
A third woman we should all acknowledge is Malala Yousafzai, a noteworthy activist who shows us not to let obstacles stop us from doing meaningful things.
As a child, Yousafzai faced significant barriers to education. When she was around 11, the Taliban conquered her hometown in Swat Valley and did heinous things, including barring girls from going to school. Because of the Taliban, Yousafzai could no longer see her classmates or get the same education as boys. However, she was determined to fight the Taliban and restore education rights for girls.
In her early teenage years, Yousafzai was an activist for girls’ education in Pakistan. She publicly spoke about girls’ education and the right of girls to go to school. Yousafzai’s activism efforts led her to become a target of the Taliban, who shot her in the side of the head in 2012. But even though she nearly got killed, Yousafzai didn’t let go of her dreams. She continued her activism efforts, and today, she’s the founder of the Malala Fund, an organization that’s dedicated to giving girls access to 12 years of education.
How Else Can Women’s History Month Be Celebrated
Celebrating the origins of Women’s History Month, honoring historical events hosted by women, and praising the women who made an impact on society are marvelous ways to celebrate Women’s History Month. But the list doesn’t end there.
There are a million other ways we can celebrate Women’s History Month, including hosting local events. Selling books written by female authors is a fabulous way to inform audiences about the accomplishments of women and the influence they have on society.
If hosting events isn’t your cup of tea, then why not join an organization that’s led by women? It’s an excellent way to demonstrate your support for feminist leadership and the organizations that women create. Some women-led organizations you can join are the local YWCA and Girls Who Code.
Or if you’ve got a passion for writing, then maybe you should write about Women’s History Month. If you are a member of Her Campus, you have the freedom to write about anything you want. So, next time you pitch an article, you can pitch one about Women’s History Month. Even if you’re not a member of Her Campus, you can still write about Women’s History Month for another magazine. Or you can simply write an essay about it for your history class. Whatever format you choose, writing about Women’s History Month will allow you to share information about it with audiences while producing something that can be read an infinite number of times.
March is the third month of the year. It has many festive days, including Saint Patrick’s Day and the spring equinox. But these days aren’t all March has to offer. Women’s History Month began as a local celebration. Now, it’s the main highlight of March. Women’s History Month shouldn’t be ignored. Women have worked so hard to get to where they are today. They deserve to be acknowledged for all the triumphs they’ve made and are currently striving for. We don’t need to host a month-long festival to celebrate Women’s History Month. If we simply honor the women who spent their entire lives making a change in the world, we’ll play our part in celebrating what I consider to be one of the most influential months ever! Women’s History Month has been honored for decades. Together, we can continue to make it the most significant moment of March!