The History of Women’s History Month

Photo credit: Hulton Deutsch

March is a significant time of year where we celebrate the tremendous impact women have had on society. It is a time to honor the women who fought valiantly for the right to vote, the women who live out their dream jobs, and even our history-making vice president. Women’s History Month is a wonderful way to pay tribute to all of them. But why March? To understand, we have to look to the past.  

Our story began one day in 1908 in New York City when thousands of women came together and marched for the right to vote and better labor laws and conditions. On February 28 the following year, the Socialist Party organized another gathering in NYC with suffragists and socialists for what they called the first International Women's Day. 

The concept quickly gained momentum and made its way throughout Europe. According to the BBC, in March of 1910, Clara Zetkin,  a German socialist introduced the idea at the International Conference of Women in Copenhagen. All 100 women, representing 17 countries unanimously agreed. In 1911, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland pronounced that International Women's Day would be formally honored on March 8. Russian feminism had an immense influence on the beginnings of the Russian Revolution, and in 1917, Communist leader Vladimir Lenin made Women's Day a Soviet Holiday. 

Because of its association with the Soviet Union and socialism, the holiday wasn’t widely celebrated in the U.S. until 1975, when it began gaining popularity. Later that year, the United Nations officially endorsed National Women's Day on March 8. The UN's General Assembly proclaimed that they aimed "to recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms requires the active participation, equality, and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security."

However, according to the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA), by 1978 a California-based organization (the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women) was displeased with the people's and grade school curriculums access to information about women’s history. Stepping away from the preparatory celebration, they established Women's History Week, starting March 8. It was an instant success. 

In 1980, a coalition of women’s groups and historians —led by the NWHA successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February of that year, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week.

Via Sonoma West Time & News

Since Carter, each  president proclaimed a National Women’s History Week in March until 1987, when Congress passed Public Law 100-9, which officially established March as “Women’s History Month.” And between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed subsidiary resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each president has issued annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”


Fast forward to 2021:

Every year, the NWHA selects and publishes the yearly theme, and this year’s theme captures the essence of these challenging times. Initially, the women’s suffrage centennial celebrations scheduled for 2020 were curbed, so the NWHA decided to extend the annual theme for 2021 to "Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.”

For four decades the NWHA has been connecting and promoting hundreds of incredible suffrage centennial events organized by people and groups at the local, state and national levels. The array of current women’s history organizations and the new research and resources they have been producing is astonishing. The suffrage centennial is at the root of some major breakthroughs in many groups and government bodies across the country, as they’re learning about the importance of women’s history for the first time. But the NWHA isn’t stopping there. It is their goal to continue to “push ahead to secure the progress we’ve made and ensure that multicultural women are never again overlooked in American history.”

Though the events have been dislocated due to the pandemic the NWHA is committed to helping organizations celebrate the women’s suffrage centennial. Regardless of how, they continue to embrace the behavior of the women we celebrate – and adapt and persevere!  

NWHA symbol

If you’re interested in learning more about women’s history month or celebrating the holiday in your own way, here are a few suggestions:  

Explore the history of women’s rights. 

The slogan of this year’s centennial is “Choose to Challenge,” acknowledging that though we’ve made extraordinary progress to advance women’s rights, there are still many challenges we have to overcome. If you aren’t familiar with the  history of women’s rights, now’s the time to learn!

Be aware of issues women still face today.

The wage discrepancy between genders is no longer unacceptable. On average, women still earn less than men, though they have “the majority of household and childcare responsibilities, face workplace stigmas and double standards, and are under-represented in leadership, STEM careers, and politics.” There’s also domestic violence, sexual harassment, trafficking, and rape culture. Oh, and hiring bias, harmful beauty standards, and the pink tax. Need I go on?

Support a women’s nonprofit.

If you're eager to make a real difference this Women’s History Month, support a charity that works with women and girls in need. Some wonderful organizations include Soroptimist / LiveYourDream.org. They help tens of thousands of women and girls across the world to achieve economic empowerment through education. Your donation could help them create more positive change! There are also other wonderful nonprofits, both big and small, working to empower women and create significant changes in gender equality. Each one could use the support and every little bit of help counts!

If you’re interested in attending an online event, here are some options:

Positive Women United’s Women's History Month Celebration
On March 27, from 12pm - 3pm EDT, Positive Women United is celebrating history makers both past and present, and honoring the many powerful and positive women who have impacted our lives. Numerous  inspiring women are attending to celebrate the accomplishments of women and empower their guests with informative and encouraging presentations.

Celebrate Women’s History with The Mount!
On March 29, at 7pm ET, journalist Julie Scelfo will be hosting conversations about extraordinary women from the nineteenth century who have helped shape the American story with their achievements. Scelfo is a frequent public speaker and has made numerous appearances on television, radio and podcasts.