The Shadow
“Women’s History Month” might sound like a relatively new concept, especially in the wake of several current movements designed to bring attention to gender equality. However, the origins of “Women’s History Month” date back over a hundred years when the very first “International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8, 1911. Initially, it was established to advocate for women’s rights during a time when women weren’t even allowed to vote.
In the early 1900’s, a woman’s inability to vote —an idea foreign to anyone in the United States now— was, in fact, progress compared to where women stood 50-75 years prior. It wasn’t until after the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800’s that women began to work in the U.S., most of whom were in factories. Their right to own property began around the same time, starting with New York who established the “Married Women’s Property Act” in 1848 giving women the right to own property and collect their own wages. By the year 1900, all states had passed laws fashioned after New York’s initial one. Although women were given the right to vote 20 years later, it did not include African American women who would end up waiting another 45 years after the Civil Rights Movement to be allowed the right to vote.
Here in 2024, it’s hard to imagine a world that disallowed women the same basic human rights which have always been given so freely to men. At the same time, it is perhaps that reason why we should take the time to reflect on the battles they fought, take time to learn more about the history of women, suffrage, and all those whose battle scars made it possible for today’s women to shine their brightest lights.
“Women’s History Month” serves as a platform to recognize the countless women who made significant contributions and tremendous sacrifices which generously paved the way for others. These are women who defied the odds, knocked down walls, and challenged authority figures to make real changes.
We recognize women like Susan B. Anthony who played a pivotal role during the women’s suffrage movement; Rosa Parks whose refusal to give up her seat ended segregation on the buses of Montgomery, Alabama; Marie Curie who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only Nobel-Prize winner in two different scientific fields; Helen Keller who, after losing her sight and hearing when she was 19 months old, went on to Harvard and became a disability rights advocate and successful author.
Those women are just a small tip of a very big iceberg. Their contributions extend beyond the borders of the United States and have left a lasting impact on the world. They exemplify the reason why “International Women’s Day” evolved into “Women’s History Week” and then, finally, into “Women’s History Month,” appropriately set around “International Women’s Day” still celebrated on March 8th. This month, we take the time to recognize the achievements of several remarkable women in history and embrace the opportunity to address the ongoing struggles women still face today in the fight for gender equality.
To all our female readers: Happy “Women’s History Month” from your friends at the Virginian Review!
