March Is Women's History Month! Learn More About Its Backstory and Celebration

Kelsey Pelzer
·5 min read
2

Let's hear it for the ladies.

Right on the heels of Black History Month in February comes March—Women's History Month. This is a month celebrated annually that seeks to spotlight the contributions of women both historical and contemporary, Women's History Month runs from March 1 to March 31.

Women's History Month first came to be as a national celebration in 1982 though the first celebration was Women's History Week. A few years later, it expanded into a full month of honoring women's roles in society, thanks to a petition from the National Women's History Project, which led to the president proclaiming March of each year Women's History Month.

According to the official website of Women's History Month, "These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields."

When is Women's History Month?

March! It starts on March 1, 2023.

What is Women's History Month?

Women's History Month takes place throughout March, a dedicated month annually that is meant to celebrate the contributions that women have given to society throughout the years.

When was Women's History Month established? The origins of the declared month began as Women's History Week on March 7, 1982. During the next five years, according to the website, Congress passed joint solutions to continue celebrating the week each March.

The National Women's History Project was instrumental in designating the celebration as the full month. In 1987, the group petitioned to make March Women's History Month and as a result, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9, a resolution that declared March 1987 as the first-ever Women's History Month.

For each year after that, up until 1994, Congress continued to pass resolutions requesting that each president proclaim March Women's History Month. Ever since 1995, U.S. Presidents have issued proclamations annually to celebrate Women's History Month.

Related: Inspiring Women to Celebrate on International Women's Day (and Every Day)

Why do we celebrate Women's History Month?

The goal of Women's History Month is to highlight the achievements and contributions made by a variety of women in a variety of fields: filmmakers, artists, engineers, and pioneers of all kinds.

Throughout time, women have played a vital role in U.S. history. Therefore, Women's History Month seeks to give credit where credit is due and recognize the women who have changed the world in so many different ways.

Here are a few simple ways to celebrate Women's History Month on your own:

  • Buy from and support women-owned businesses

  • Support (and play/watch!) women-led and women-made films and songs

  • Share what you've learned about women's history online

  • Read and buy books from female writers

Related: Share These 100 International Women's Day Quotes to Support Women's Rights

How did Women's History Month begin?

Some historians credit the school district of Sonoma, California for igniting the flame for Women's History Month. In 1978, this local area organized a "week-long celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society" with hundreds of participants between class presentations, essays written, and a parade in Santa Rosa.

Then, in 1981, the first dedicated effort to nationally recognize and publicly appreciate women's contributions to society throughout history began as a public law passed in Congress to establish the week starting March 7, 1982, as "Women's History Week." Throughout the next five years, a single week in March continued to be celebrated for this purpose.

It wasn't until 1987 that the entirety of March was known as "Women's History Month," thanks to the National Women's History Project's petitions. Now, each year, the President issues an annual proclamation to continue designating March as Women's History Month.

Related: 10 Fictional Heroines We Can't Stop Reading About This Women's History Month

When is International Women's Day?

International Women's Day is a global celebration that also takes place in March— on March 8 every year (celebrated for the first time in 1911!). This year, it takes place on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

Related: Ignite Your Inner Fire With These 125 Empowering Quotes From Some of the Strongest Women in History

Around the world, countries make an effort to support women on this special day. The United Nations even began sponsoring the day in 1975, with the General Assembly explaining that their goals included: "[Recognizing] the fact 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; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.”

Who is the founder of Women's History Month?

Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, and Bette Morgan founded the National Women's History Alliance in 1980 and are largely credited for being the founders of Women's History Month. It is their coalition that ultimately led to the proclamation of Women's History Week, then Month.

The National Women's History Alliance is a non-profit organization with the intention of "honoring and preserving women's history," according to the website.

What color represents Women's History?

International Women's Day falls on March 8, 2023. To commemorate the day and stand in solidarity, many people wear the official color of International Women's Day—purple.

Next up, the best feminist movies to watch during Women's History Month.

With reporting by Stephanie Osmanski