Every March we celebrate Women’s History Month. This month is set aside to honor women’s contributions to American history. But did you know Women’s History Month started as Women’s History Week? If you are curious about the origin of this special month, don’t worry. The Balancing Act has you covered.Here is the origin of Women’s History Month.
Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa California in 1978. A “Women’s History Week” was planned and executed by the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women. The organizers of the event chose the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day. Soon, the movement spread across the country and other communities started their own Women’s History Week.
In 1980, a group of women led by the National Women’s History Project lobbied for national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th, 1980, as National Women’s History Week.“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well,” President Carter said.
Future Presidents continued to proclaim March 8th as National Women’s History Week until 1987 when Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.” Congress passed additional laws requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, every March each President has issued an annual proclamation.The National Women’s History Alliance, formerly known as the National Women’s History Project, selects a yearly theme for the month. The theme for Women’s History Month in 2024 is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.”
