Women’s History month first started as Women’s History week [1, 2]. This early celebration of women’s achievements was held in 1978 in Santa Rosa California, but later spread across America. Several notable Women’s groups rallied for its celebration on a national level, culminating in the declaration of Women’s History week by President Jimmy Carter on March 8, 1980 [1]. It would take 7 more years of lobbying by the National Women’s History Project, before congress approved the expansion of the celebration to encompass the entire month of March [1, 2].
As Jimmy Carter once stated: “…men and women have worked together to build this nation. But too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed.” Furthermore, in America, women were not always seen as being equal to men [3]. Many of the freedoms and rights enjoyed by women today, were mere dreams to their predecessors. In fact, there was a time when American women could not: vote [3, 4], be safe from discrimination at work, have control over their property, obtain a credit card, attend an Ivy League university, fulfill jury duty, fight on the front lines of war, refuse conjugal relations with her husband, bring a sexual harassment suit to court and be protected against getting fired because of pregnancy [4].
The acquisition of these rights would take nearly a century to realize. One of the first steps taken was by the Women’s Suffrage movement who advocated for women to be treated as equal citizens with the same privileges as their male counterparts [3]. Principle among these being the right to vote. After decades of struggle, the 19th Amendment was confirmed on August 18, 1920, and this dream was realized [3, 5, 6].
Throughout the struggle for equality, American women have broken many barriers and made a lasting mark on the country. These include the suffragist Susan B. Anthony, the abolitionist Sojourner Truth and the architect of the underground railroad, Harriet Tubman [5,7]. Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman elected to the Supreme court and Kamala Harris was the first woman Vice President [5.7]. First Lady Edith Bolling Galt Wilson sometimes called the ‘first woman US President’, took over the reins of power when her husband President Woodrow Wilson, suffered a debilitating stroke and effectively ran the country for most of his second term [8]. Sally Ride was the first US woman in space and Amelia Earhart was the first woman to achieve individual flight across the Atlantic Ocean [5]. Closer to home, there are many notable Iowans like Mildred Benson, AKA “Carolyn Keene”, who authored the world famous ‘Nancy Drew Mysteries’ [9].
While there have been many victories and advancements, the fight for women’s rights continues to this very day. However, women are formidable opponents. In the words of the former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: “Women are like teabags. We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water. [2]” This year’s theme for Women History month is: “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” [2]. If you are interested in learning more about Women’s history month, please see the links below:
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