International Womens Month

Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is to honor women’s gift’s in American history.

Women’s History Month began as a national celebration in the United States in 1987. It originated from a local “Women’s History Week” in Sonoma County, California, in 1978, which was later recognized nationally by President Jimmy Carter in 1980. Congress passed Public Law 100-9 which officially designated March 1987 as the first Women’s History Month. The organizers selected the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day. The movement spread across the country as other communities initiated their own Women’s History Week celebrations the following year.

These proclamations were designed to celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and to recognize the achievements women have made in a variety of fields. Women’s History Month is a vehicle to promote and amplify the work and voices of women who for decades may not have received the respect and acknowledgment they are due.

One of the first women to gain fame as a journalist was Anne Royall. She was a travel writer, newspaper editor, and the first professional female journalist in the United States. She was called a “common scold” for her sharp observations of American life.

Many Women’s voices in writing have shaped history in many ways. One of the most widely known young writers is Anne Frank, whose diary documented her life while hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Her personal account later became one of the most widely read firsthand perspectives of the the Holocaust, giving the world insight into the fears, hopes, and daily life of a Jewish teenager during that time.

Observing Women’s History Month each year not only honors the achievements of women in the past but also highlights the importance of continuing to recognize and support women’s voices in the future, reminding us that women have played a vital role in shaping history and society.