Wednesday Wisdom: Women’s History Month Inspiration

Wednesday Wisdom, Women’s History Month, Inspiration for Women

According to the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA), as recently as the 1970s, women’s history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County California Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration for 1978. They choose the week of March 8th, International Women’s Day, as the focal point of the observance. The local Women’s History Week activities met with enthusiastic response.

In March 1980, President Jimmy Carter’s Message to the nation designated March 2-8,1980 as National Women’s History Week with this quote, “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.”

By 1986, 14 states had declared March as Women’s History Month. This momentum and state-by-state action was used as the rational to lobby Congress to declare the entire month of March 1987 as National Women’s History Month.

Why is Women’s History Month so important? According to NWHA, history must tell the whole story. For girls, knowing women’s achievements expands their sense of what is possible. For all of us, knowledge of women’s strengths and contributions builds respect and nourishes self-esteem — crucial to all children and adults now, and in the future.

Today’s Wednesday Wisdom, on the first day of March 2023, is to encourage you to learn more about events and programs occurring this month that you can get involved with or share to help make women’s history more well-known and talked about. Begin by visiting https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/2023-theme/ to learn about this year’s theme and events happening in our country. Governor Hochul will also be listing women’s history events and asked me for our events to share with their audience.

I also encourage you to share personal and business stories of women in your past that have made a difference in your life or community because this year’s 2023 theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories”. Let’s share their names and stories so others know more about them.