Women’s History Month

It is  Women’s History Month and this year’s theme is #Choosetochallenge. But how did this celebration start and where is it come from?

Women’s History Month is a month-long celebration and that evolved from a single day March 8th.

Every year, we celebrate women’s accomplishments and contributions to our society. While March 8th is internationally recognized and celebrated, Women’s History Month is national.

Let’s look at the origins of both.

Why is March celebrated as Women’s History Month?

Women Strike for Peace, 1961

The early 1900s is the peak of the decades-long suffrage movement.

While the suffrage movement began in mid 19th century, the early 1900s was the peak as well as the gruesome moments of the movement.  From mid 19th century to the early 20th century women along with abolitionists and many African American men demanded the right to vote for women.

Yet, the national suffrage for  American women came only in 1920. The origins of Women’s day however come much more before suffrage.

In 1908, the Women’s Trade Union League of New York and many other unions arranged a parade in New York on March 8th. Those who attended demanded shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to child labor.

This Parade deemed by the police as an illegal gathering.

Even within the suffrage movement, there were a lot of critical voices about the parade. Considering the potential damage to the image of the movement, many opposed the parade.

On March 8, 15.000 women along with 2.000 men marched for equal rights.

Next year, the Socialist Party of America declared the first National Women’s Day.

(Remembering Clara Zetkin, n.d.)

Until 1911, Women’s day celebrated only in the US. However, in 1910, Clara Zetkin gathered an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen and suggested the idea of international recognition to this day.

A year later, the first International Women’s Day has been celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland along with the US.

Until 1920, many women arrested for peaceful parades and many times for just asking for basic human rights like suffrage.

While suffrage was one aspect of Women’s history, the struggle, and inequality against women continue, the celebration for those who paved the way either.

In 1975, United Nations officially recognized International Women’s Day.

How did evolve from Women’s Day to a month of celebration?

In 1980, Congress asked President Carter to proclaim the week starting from March 7th as National Women’s week.

President Carter designating National Women’s History Week

Until 1987, the improvement of conditions and the recognition of women continued by the push of congress and the petitions by the National Women’s History Project.

In 1987, Congress officially designated March as Women’s History Month.

However, the recognition was initially until 1994. Therefore, in 1995 President Bill Clinton issued that the March of every year will be recognized as National Women’s History Month.

Since 1995 each year, National Women’s History Month has been celebrated in the US along with March 8th International Women’s Day.

– 2021 ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼-

In 2021, Women’s History Month still has utmost importance and the movement for the betterment of genders and equality is much more diverse than before.

This year, the theme for this month is explained as #ChoosetoChallenge. For change comes with challenges against inequality and against injustice.

Racism, homophobia, and injustice still continue in our everyday lives, along with online harassment and mental health issues.

For this reason, along with the online awareness campaign, the National Women’s History Alliance said they will be continuing with the theme of 2020:

2021 theme for Women’s History Month

” The National Women’s History Alliance is determined that the important roles of multicultural suffragists and voting rights activists continue to be recognized and honored. We refuse to allow their voices to be silenced, even by a pandemic.” – National Women’s History Alliance

The change may come slowly, but it shows the fruits of century-long struggles and determination. 2020 crippled the hopes and the morals of many, but in the dawn, we saw the first African American Women Vice-President in the history of the US.

“The generations of women- who throughout our nation’s history have paved the way for this moment…I stand on their shoulders” – Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris is no doubt a powerful figure for young women and a symbol like many others in this noble endeavor.

The likes of Harriett Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ida B. Wells, and of course Rosa Parks are all remembered and honored in National Women’s History Month, and many international figures too on March 8th.

For all women, who read this article, Happy National Women’s Month!

✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼

Sources:

History of Woman Suffrage, Volume 1

History of Woman Suffrage, Elizabeth Cady Stanton