Women’s History Month, 2023

Mar 8

“Women’s History is Women’s Right.” - Dr. Gerda Lerner

Since the 1980’s, March has been nationally recognized as Women’s History Month- a time for the United States to celebrate and recognize the impact and contributions women have made to the Nation.

Where the Celebration Began

In 1981, Congress authorized and requested President Jimmy Carter to proclaim the week of March 7th, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” He first addressed the Nation stating:

“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.

As Dr. Gerda Lerner has noted, “Women’s History is Women’s Right.” – It is an essential and indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision.

I ask my fellow Americans to recognize this heritage with appropriate activities during National Women’s History Week, March 2-8, 1980.

I urge libraries, schools, and community organizations to focus their observances on the leaders who struggled for equality – – Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Lucy

Stone, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, and Alice Paul.

Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people.

This goal can be achieved by ratifying the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that “Equality of Rights under the Law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”

In the following five years, Congress continued to authorize joint resolutions which resulted in “Women’s History Week” being recognized as a recurring annual celebration. Finally, in 1987, the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress to recognize the entire month of March as “Women’s History Month.” It wasn’t until 1995 that each following president issued proclamations ensuring that March would continually be a time for recognizing achievements and contributions made by women to the United States.

Women’s Liberation Movement

Preceding President Carter addressing the nation to implement the start of Women’s History Month, was the Women’s Liberation Movement. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Women’s Liberation Movement was born out of contemporary philosophy and feminism, addressing the role of women in society as ‘second-class citizens.’ The movement pressed the Nation to address and question the norms of patriarchy, sexual hierarchy, the physical independence of women, and sexism as a whole.

Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories

Each year, the National Women’s History Alliance selects and publishes an annual theme for Women’s History Month. This year, the Alliance has deemed 2022’s theme as “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” This year, the NWHA encourages the Nation to recognize the contribution of female storytellers in print, stage, screen, film, radio, and more.

Celebrating Women’s History Month in Texas

There are many events happening throughout Texas in the month of March to celebrate Women’s History Month as a community. Below is a list of things to do in the area with family and friends to honor the women in your life:

Women’s History Month Celebration - March 11th, 4pm, 1300 Wilson St, Denton, Texas. A celebration including speakers, vendors, entertainment, and more!
Women Already Connected - March 16th, 7pm, Tower Club Dallas. A Women Already Connected Networking event!
WOWCon - March 17th-18th, J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. The third annual convention designed to explore and address the challenges facing women in many different fields.
This is How We Really Make It - March 20th, 11:30am. A virtual event with Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez, a first-gen Latina immigrant. Her passion is naming the experiences of first-gen students navigating systems not built for them.
Women’s History Cinema: Little Women - March 22nd, 4:30pm, Dallas Library Pleasant Grove Beach. A retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ with free popcorn while supplies last.
Careers in Radical and Gender Justice - March 28th, 11:30am. A virtual event with Laura Flores-Dixit represents low-income Central Texas community members in a variety of legal matters before US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
She’s Kind of a Big Deal - March 29th, 6pm, Virgin Hotel Dallas- Rooftop. A Women’s History Month panel.
The Untold Poems of a Chinese and Puerto Rican Woman - March 30th, 1pm. A virtual event by Kimberly Ming, a multiethnic storyteller. In this event, Kimberly shares a collection of her work in an effort to help other multicultural people know that they are not alone.