Women's History Month and 11 Ways to Celebrate

Women’s History Month is celebrated every year in March. We recognize this important celebration in honor of the contributions of trailblazing women who have been impactful throughout history and today.

From mothers and grandmothers raising our future generations, to contributors to science, politics, economics, and business. We celebrate the women who have raised their voices and stood resilient for a better tomorrow and nurtured their families and communities.

Women’s History Month recognizes and celebrates each and every one.

The roots of Women’s History Month were planted in 1980, when Congress authorized and requested that a week in March be proclaimed Women’s History Week by the President. Over the next several years, joint resolutions were passed to declare one week in March as Women’s History Week.

The following year, in 1987, Congress was petitioned by the National Women’s History Project to declare the month of March as Women’s History Month. 1987 was the first year that the president proclaimed Women’s History Month.

Ever since, the sitting President of the United States have issued annual proclamations to designate and recognize the month of March in celebration of the contributions of women in the United States throughout history.

While Women’s History Month is focused more on the contributions of women in the United States, International Women’s Day celebrates and acknowledges the contributions of women from around the globe.

Also set in March, International Women’s Day is acknowledge in multiple countries with the focus on celebrating the cultural, political, social, and economic contributions of women today and throughout history.

Each year, International Women’s Day is celebrated with a chosen theme. For 2022, the theme is “Break the Bias” to bring awareness and celebrate the potential of a world where gender bias ceases to exist, and gender equality is the societal norm.

Each year, the National Women’s History Alliance chooses a theme to represent Women’s History Month. For 2022, the theme for Women’s History Month is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”.

This year’s theme is especially poignant considering the turbulent nature of world events. From the pandemic that swept across the globe during the last two years, to political tensions and strife, this year’s theme serves as an important reminder of the roles women hold in providing healing and hope in any situation.

This year’s theme was chosen to honor women, who in their personal or professional lives (or both!) work and give tirelessly to bring healing and hope to their families, their communities, workplaces, and the world.

Previous Women's History Month Themes Include:

• 2021: Valiant Women of the Vote – Refusing To Be Silenced
• 2020: Valiant Women of the Vote
• 2019: Visionary Women – Champions of Peace and Nonviolence
• 2018: Nevertheless, She Persisted – Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• 2017: Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business
• 2016: Working to Form a Perfect Union – Honoring Women In Public Service and Government
• 2015: Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives
• 2014: Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment
  
  

There are many ways that you can celebrate Women’s History Month during the month of March. Not only does engaging in some celebratory activities help to celebrate and bring awareness to Women’s History Month, but these small or big actions also work to establish habits that will help lift and support women throughout the year.

You don’t have to be a hardcore activist to celebrate Women’s History Month or make your voice heard. The very acts of learning more, expanding your perception of women’s issues, sharing your knowledge, and bringing awareness to issues go a far way to supporting what Women’s History Month is all about.

Whether you’re vocal and active in Women’s issues or a bit more reserved, here are a few suggestions for celebrating Women’s History Month at home, work, and in your communities.

1. Make an effort to learn more about women in history and the changing landscape of women’s rights over the last century.
2. Learn how you can help and take action against some of the major issues women are facing today, including gender based workplace obstacles, gender based pay discrepancies, underrepresentation in workplace sectors, domestic violence, education, medical care, and more.
3. Support female entrepreneurs and women owned business by purchasing from the, promoting their businesses on social media, and sharing your positive experiences with their brands.
4. Read books and literature by female authors, both fiction and non-fiction. The overwhelming majority of popular books are written by men. While more women authors are making it onto the best seller list than in years past, there’s still a notable disparity in the success between male and female authors.
5. Share information about Women’s History Month, prominent females, and women’s issues on social media to help bring about awareness.
6. Support non-profit organizations founded and ran by women.
7. Be a mentor for a young woman or actively support the women in your life
8. Learn more about female political figures, including those that aren’t aligned to your personal political beliefs
9. Write a handwritten letter or email to a woman who has personally inspired you.
10. Introduce children to women of power through books, media, music, and television
11. If you’re a woman, take care of yourself. Ask for the well-deserved raise, let go of guilt, nurture yourself while you care for the ones you love, be proactive in your own health, pursue the goal, make your dreams a reality.

The month of March offers us the opportunity to celebrate women in history, the trailblazing women of today, and ourselves. One of the most important things women can do is to invest in self-care, and all of us should be striving to uplift and support the women in our lives. Invest in yourself, your health, and your own wellbeing, so that you can be a healthier, stronger, more resilient force and voice for women around the globe.