Celebrating Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize, celebrate, honor and encourage the study of the contributions and achievements of women throughout history and all over the world. At first, the celebration of women’s history was only a week-long program, and it occurred in March 1978 in Sonoma County, California. Many people observed the program’s success, and other communities across the country initiated their own Women’s History Week.

The National Women’s History Project, now known as the National Women’s History Alliance, and similar organizations successfully pushed the federal government for national recognition of Women’s History Week in 1980.

In February of that year, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week (March 8 is International Women’s History Day).

Years later, President Ronald Reagan passed further proclamations announcing Women’s History Weeks however, by then, some areas had already extended their celebrations to a whole month. The Women’s National History Project lobbied for a longer observation, and Congress passed a proclamation in 1987 establishing Women’s History Month.