Women’s History Month: How It Started And Where It’s Going

March is Women’s History Month — a time to celebrate the achievements, resilience, and impact of women throughout history. But did you know that this month of recognition wasn’t simply granted? It was fought for.

The establishment of Women’s History Month wasn’t just about celebration; it required relentless advocacy, legal recognition by Congress, and a fight that echoes the ongoing struggle for women’s rights today. Just like many of the rights and recognitions women have secured, it’s not something we can take for granted — it remains vulnerable to political shifts and societal pushback.

This March, let’s explore the origins of Women’s History Month, the battle to make it official, and the ever-present challenge of ensuring women’s history remains honored and protected.

International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world on March 8. This date was chosen in the 1910’s to coincide with women protesting for suffrage in many countries, while they were also protesting for peace during World War 1. International Woman’s Day was, and still is, not a widely recognized holiday in the United States because of its initial socialist and Soviet support.

Iconic feminist Laura Shaw Murra, known as Laura X, chose her name to avoid carrying the name of someone who controlled her. She organized a large march in Berkeley, California in 1969 to help the country recognize International Women’s Day.

Since women make up at least half the human race, she petitioned for them to be celebrated in more time than one day and created the concept of Women’s History Month. Laura X and her work creating Women’s History Research Center led to California creating a National Women’s Week.

President Carter made Women’s History Week official in 1980, and later in his term Congress legally made the week of March 7, “Women’s History Week”. The popularity behind this movement was so big, five years later it expanded to “Women’s History Month”.

Millennials and Gen Z grew up with “identity months,” which existed long before many were old enough to understand them. However, recent developments suggest a loss of prominence for Women’s History Month.

Whether it’s the Department of Defense issuing press releases with headlines like “Identity Months Dead” or observing how Google Calendar has subtly removed all named months, the trend is clear. Google’s justification centers on the “scalability” of maintaining every cultural requirement on a calendar. Meanwhile, Apple’s response was that they never recognized Women’s History Month, which poses its own concerns.

Many have likely heard comments questioning why there isn’t a men’s month, but this view often stems from a privileged perspective that dismisses existing prejudices. Achieving gender equality isn’t as straightforward as it seems, and discrepanciesremain visible in how women are treated by laws, social media, and their peers, even after 45 presidencies.

The importance of Women’s History Month becomes evident as we learn from figures like Laura X, who highlight the struggles women have overcome to gain their current positions. Such historical insights underline the need for continued awareness and celebration to inspire future generations.

Having Women’s History Month brings about many positive benefits. It encourages schools to teach about women in history. It even helps some teachers class lessons around iconic female leaders the whole month.

The month is also a great springboard for gender equality and women’s rights in politics and legislation. Hollywood and various other fields emphasize women’s issues or women’s history when March brings them to the forefront.

This month, support woman-run or owned businesses, exploring work by promising women in various mediums, donating time and money to women-focused volunteer efforts, and sharing information about feminist history and iconic women.