The History of Women's History Month

Article by Farrah Renfroe, TPT Staff Writer

As many know, March is Women’s History Month. Every year, many honor the accomplishments of Women in the United States. As we see March come to a close, I want to dive deeper into the origin of Women’s History Month and how far we’ve come. 

So, where and when did Women’s History Month start? Women’s History Month was originally Women’s History Week. Starting as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission officially instituted Women’s History Week.   Two years after this decision, a movement led by the National Women’s History Project, now the National Women's History Alliance, lobbied for a national recognition of Women’s History Week. As a result of their organizing, in February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. President Carter wrote "Too often, the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed…But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well." Seven years after the first Women’s History week, in 1987, Congress passed a law making the month of March Women’s History Month. Each President since 1995 has issued proclamations naming March as Women's History Month. 

The recognition of Women’s History Month has come a long way since the late 70s. But, one thing that stuck is that people reflect on the ways women have contributed to society. From Harriet Tubman to Vice President Kamala Harris, society as a whole has worked towards centering women’s voices. In retrospect of uplifting women’s voices, the theme for this Women’s month is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." This recognizes “women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media." 

The impact that women have had on the United States and around the world have been tremendous. While we are still trying to fight for equality, it’s important for us all to be welcoming in our organizing spaces. When fighting for women’s rights, let’s hold space to be intersectional and honor the many women who came before us. If it weren’t for the many women who fought generations before us, we wouldn’t be here today. As a country, let's work towards celebrating Women all year long. The more we do that, the more we can inspire young women and girls.