By: Jaclyn Kalina
Throughout history, women have been oppressed and viewed as inferior to males. Due to many influential figures, whether it be Rosa Parks, Alice Paul, or many others, women have made significant strides towards equality in our society. March is a month dedicated to the hard work of all women who came before us and those who live presently. There are countless names of those who can be celebrated throughout this time. Women’s history month is a time for all of us to remind ourselves of the value women hold in the world and confront the injustices that women still face today. Some may ask, “How exactly can we contribute to acknowledging women during this month?” Today, I will be showing some ways, big and small, everyone can come together and celebrate women.
Women’s History Month stems from 1857. During this time, women were protesting poor working conditions in many factories as well as ridiculously low wages. From then on, many women’s rights activists emerged and contributed to the fight towards women’s rights. The first Women’s Day was celebrated in 1909, but the first prolonged celebration for women was in 1978 where the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women planned a weeklong celebration. The movement spread like wildfire throughout the country. Subsequently, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8th as National Women’s Week. Finally, in 1987, congress declared the entire month of March as Women’s History Month.
The following are ways in which you can celebrate Women’s History Month:
- Watch a documentary about women’s rights
- Watching documentaries can help inform people about the drive towards equality in all different places from a variety of perspectives. Some recommendations include:
- 9to5: The Story of a Movement (Netflix)
- Feminists: What Were They Thinking? (Netflix)
- Reversing Roe (Netflix)
- Read books about women’s rights
- For those who love to read, delving into characters who aim to achieve gender equality is not only entertaining but informative. Some suggestions include:
- “Abolition. Feminism. Now.” by Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, Erica R. Meiners, and Beth Richie
- “Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay
- “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf
- Listen to women podcasts
- Podcasts are gaining a lot of popularity, as they are enjoyable and easy to listen whenever, wherever! Listening to podcasts can broaden your scope of knowledge on women’s activism. Some suggestions include:
- Binchtopia
- Under the Sisterhood
- Encyclopedia Womanica
- Support women-owned businesses
- An increasing percentage of women are taking on the entrepreneurial world and starting some fascinating businesses. Although great progress has been made and should not go unnoticed, men still far outnumber women in business ownership. Women’s History Month is a great time to give extra love and support to women’s businesses.
- Donate to organizations that support women
- Many women-oriented organizations could definitely use a hand. Whether it is supporting women in STEM to a local health clinic, donating is a great way to show your appreciation for women. Some organizations include:
- Malala fund
- Girls Inc.
- Girls Who Code
