Womens history month

Over the centuries, women have proven to be just as industrious, resilient and independent as their male counterparts, and today many are the most competitive applicants for leadership positions in the workforce. Every year, the month of March is reserved for a special season of recognition to highlight the contributions of women to the world. It is celebrated in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, along with its counterpart International Women’s Day on March 8.
The holiday got its start in the early sixties when women began to question their visibility in traditional American history texts. The movement raised a lot of awareness about the media’s neglect of women, and increased the number of women who wanted to work as historians and journalists. Women’s history was also a part of a larger movement that transformed the study of history in the U.S. Emphasis on women began to shift to a broader spectrum of American life.
The public celebration of women’s history in the U.S. began in 1978 as “Women’s History Week” in Sonoma County, California. In 1981, Senator Orrin Hatch and Representative Barbara Mikulski co-sponsored a joint Congressional resolution proclaiming a national Women’s History Week. The week began to gain popularity and favor, resulting in the expansion of the holiday to a month in 1987.
Today, education systems and communities across the globe celebrate the month with special lessons and activities designed to inform the accomplishments and contributions women have made toward the building of the U.S. A month long holiday was not the only goal of the women who began the push for this recognition, thus the National Women’s History Museum was founded in 1996. A non-profit organization, the museum is devoted to upholding and commemorating the many historic contributions of women. The organization is now working with Congress to open a permanent site in Washington, D.C.
This year, the younger generation took the celebration of Women’s History Month to social media. Twitter played the role of vital medium, highlighting the month and spreading awareness. For those interested in joining the conversation, two popular hashtags this year are: #WHM and #WMNhist. This month is host to a tradition that is slowly gaining more recognition, but with the involvement of everyone Women’s History Month can grow to be a well-recognized time.