Why Women's History Month Matters
October is Women's History Month in Canada, so I thought I'd share this article that I originally wrote for Excuse My Thoughts. To read about gender-based stereotypes in design, check out Fashion Feature Friday: The Origin of Pink and Blue.
March is Women’s History Month, a time for celebrating women and their accomplishments. However, this event is not as old as you might think. Women only recently gained the right to vote and to own property. They are still fighting for causes like gender equality and reproductive rights today. It was an educational task force in California that started what would eventually become Women’s History Month in 1978. But the history of this event goes a little further back than you might expect.
The History of Women's History Month
In March of 1857, New York City garment workers protested against poor working conditions and low wages. This protest led to the founding of the first women’s labour union. On February 28, 1908, fifteen thousand women marched from Lower Manhattan to Times Square for the right to fewer working hours and better pay, and the end of child labour. Later that year, the Socialist Party of America announced that the last Sunday of February would be National Women’s Day.
Not too long after, Clara Zetkin, a German socialist, proposed a holiday to honour striking American garment workers. March 19th became International Working Women’s Day in 1911. However, since the holiday was associated with socialism, it was not widely recognized in the United States until decades later.
Things began to change rapidly by the 1970s. The United Nations began sponsoring International Women’s Day on March 8, 1975. In 1978, the National Women’s History Alliance in California created Women’s History Week. Members expressed frustration with the lack of information and recognition of women’s contributions in history books and school curriculums.
The event led to hundreds of women participating in a “Real Women” contest, where they presented essays to students. Event organizers lobbied Congress in 1979 in the hopes of gaining national recognition. By then, schools and communities were regularly holding essay contests and creating special programs across the country. President Jimmy Carter called for the week of March 8 to be National Women’s History Week in 1980. Finally, Congress declared Women’s History Month to be in perpetuity in 1987.
Since 1995, presidents give proclamations every year to announce Women’s History Month. The National Women’s History Alliance also chooses a theme for each year. The theme for 2021, “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced”, is in honour of suffragettes.
The Importance of Women's History Month
The history of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day stemmed from discussions about working conditions, equal pay, and voting rights. Events like the protests in New York City and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Tragedy led to the widespread recognition of the need for change. Now, schools and governments are recognizing the importance of creating opportunities for women and educating people on women’s history. Lastly, the United Nations has stated that “securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality and development of women.” Today, Women’s History Month is in celebration of women and their achievements in leadership, science, sports, arts, and beyond.
