Women’s History Month is celebrated in March. It originated in 1981 when Congress passed a publication which requested President Ronald Reagan to issue a proclamation for Women's History Week. It wasn't until March of 1987 when Women’s History Month actually became an entire month of calling upon all Americans to mark the month with observances to honor the achievements of American women.
Women’s History Month honors and celebrates the struggles and achievements of American women throughout the history of the United States. American women have struggled to gain rights not simply for themselves but for many other under represented and disenfranchised groups in America.
Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote
The campaign for women’s voting rights lasted more than seven decades. Considered the largest reform movement in United States history, its participants believed that securing the vote was essential to achieving women’s economic, social, and political equality. Take a few minutes to explore these exhibits.
Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote
Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote highlights the relentless struggle of diverse activists throughout U.S. history to secure voting rights for all American women. This online exhibit from the National Archives Museum offers an inside look of the museum's artifacts and documentation of this struggle.
Brave Girls Virtual Storytime
Join National Women's History Museum as actresses, artists, activists read aloud these wonderful book selections to engage our girls and boys:
Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists
Women have long been the creative force behind Native American art, yet their individual contributions have been largely unrecognized, instead treated as anonymous representations of entire cultures.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists exhibition is multilingual with descriptive text presented in both the artist’s Native American or First Nations languages, as well as English, aiming to present the works in the context of each artist’s own culture and voice.
Experiencing War: Women of Four Wars
The four major wars in which American women served after World War II can be split into two pairs. Korea and Vietnam were conflicts fought in Asian countries divided by the politics of the Cold War. The Persian Gulf War and the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq were fought in the Middle East and grew out of tensions over aggression in that region and, in the latter instance, the 9/11 attacks.
For women, the first two wars signaled few advances in their roles in military service, but in the two recent wars, the areas of women’s participation expanded immensely, with potentially more dire consequences.
UN International Women's Day
March 8th is the UN International Women's Day. Learn more about how the UN is bringing attention to Gender Equality by 2030.
Celebrate UW Womxn*
Join University of Washington for a month-long celebration of Women’s History Month.
*Not sure what Womxn means? Check out this Medium article to learn more.
Womxn Breaking Barriers
