When March rolls around, it simply means the start of springtime for some people. However, this month also holds a bigger, more important meaning in the United States beyond the break in the weather. In 1987, the United States Congress officially made March Women’s History Month, honoring the pivotal role women have played throughout history.
That said, over a century earlier is when the movement truly began in July 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention—the first women’s rights convention in the United States. This meeting served as the launching point for the women’s suffrage movement, eventually leading to women’s rights to vote as well as our right to a variety of social, economic, and political freedoms.
As we close out this March, we wanted to take some time to look back at the history of women in the United States and remember how we got here and how much further we still have to go.
The five women that organized this convention were also active in the abolitionist movement, working to end injustices across the spectrum of both gender and racial inequalities in the United States. This month, we remember their names:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Lucretia Mott
Mary M’Clintock
Martha Coffin Wright
Jane Hunt
Three short years later, Susan B. Anthony would meet with Stanton and fight alongside her for women’s rights, continuing to carve the way forward for gender equality in every sphere of life.
How Did Women’s History Month Start?
So, if the first organized event for women’s rights was in July, why do we celebrate the history of women in March? Women’s History Month emerged not from celebrations, but protests. On March 8th of 1857, garment workers in New York City marched through the streets, protesting inhumane hours and unfair pay for women in the workplace.
Nearly five decades later in 1908, approximately 15,000 women in New York gathered again, not only to honor those who fought in those initial protests, but to continue fighting for shorter working hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to child labor.
What Are We Still Fighting For Today?
In 2024, nearly two centuries after the Seneca Falls Convention, we’re still not where we should be in terms of equality for women across the world when stacked up against the average cisgender white man—and this situation is even more drastic for women of color.
This goes beyond wages and salaries; women still do not possess equal rights when it comes to our safety, bodily autonomy, health, medical care, workplace opportunities, and more.
While this is the frustrating reality of the world we live in, it’s important to continue speaking out and fighting against this dissonance between what men—again, more specifically, cisgender white men—deserve versus what women deserve.
Democracy relies on the power of the people, so before you go, we’ll leave you with a few actionable steps you can take to make a difference in your life and the world at large:
VOTE—and not just for the President. Local elections also have a huge impact on your day-to-day life, and it’s important to know who you’re putting in charge.
Contact your elected officials when you have concerns. These people exist to represent you. Don’t make their job easy—make them fight for you.
Talk to your friends and family. These days, a lot of us shy away from talking about more polarizing topics with our loved ones. While you don’t have to be a social justice warrior every day, sharing your important thoughts and viewpoints can go a long way in influencing those around you.
What Does Women’s History Month Mean to You?
When we learn about the history of the United States, our textbooks are flooded with images and stories of prominent men and the roles they played throughout time. The difference in the amount we learn about men in history versus women in history is glaringly obvious, but is that because women weren’t contributing as much to the world?
The short answer: No.
The longer answer: Women have actively molded the history of art, human rights, medicine, politics, science, technology, and more throughout time. However, women’s history has long been a broken narrative, cast aside and written out of dominant historical events.
This month, we remember why it’s so important to tell these stories now. Not only to honor the women who got us here, but to empower the young women of today that they, too, can make a difference despite living in a world that tries to make them smaller.
“Each time a girl opens a book and reads a womanless history, she learns she is worth less.”
Myra Pollack Sadker
By reflecting on the harmful history of gender inequality, recognizing our achievements thus far, and noting where we’ve strayed in the wrong direction, we can pave a better path forward for the women of the future while giving the women of our past the recognition they deserved in their lifetimes.
Happy Women’s History Month from Us to You!
Women’s History Month is dedicated to honoring women throughout history and shining a light on the issues women still face today. While the current reality women face is still a challenging one, we can still take time to celebrate the strides we’ve made thus far.
As we leave this March behind, we pledge to continue reshaping the world to make room for our equal opportunities and representation in it every month.
The title of this article holds true; this is a brief look into women’s history, and we’ve barely scratched the surface. If you’re interested in knowing more, there are countless resources at your fingertips to learn about the specific histories of influential women throughout time.
Additionally, WYSR offers a handful of courses geared toward women empowerment, including a course all about Women’s History Month and a more overarching training about being a woman in the workplace.
If you’re interested in checking either of those out—or any of the other many unique courses we offer—learn more or sign up for a quick demo here:
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