Annual observance throughout March in the United States, celebrating women’s contributions to history, culture, and society while raising awareness about ongoing gender inequality. Established as a national month-long celebration in 1987, expanding from the original Women’s History Week.

Origins

1978: Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated “Women’s History Week” during the week of March 8 (International Women’s Day).

1980: President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week.

1987: Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as Women’s History Month. Every president since has issued annual proclamations honoring the month.

Purpose:

• Recognize women’s achievements often excluded from traditional history curricula
• Inspire current and future generations
• Address persistent gender inequities

Annual Themes

The National Women’s History Alliance selects themes each year:

• 2023: “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories”
• 2022: “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”
• 2021: “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced”
• 2020: “Valiant Women of the Vote” (19th Amendment centennial)
• 2019: “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence”
• 2018: “Nevertheless, She Persisted” (inspired by Elizabeth Warren moment)

Social Media Campaigns

#WomensHistoryMonth trends throughout March with:

• Daily spotlights: Highlighting different women (STEM, arts, politics, activism)
• Historical deep dives: Overlooked figures (Rosalind Franklin, Claudette Colvin, Marsha P. Johnson)
• Educational threads: Suffrage movement, labor rights, reproductive rights
• Book recommendations: Women authors, feminist theory, biographies
• Company initiatives: Corporate diversity pledges (often criticized as performative)
• Personal tributes: Thanking mothers, grandmothers, mentors, role models

Educational Focus

Schools, libraries, and museums organize:

• Curriculum integration: Lesson plans on women’s suffrage, civil rights, labor movements
• Guest speakers: Women leaders, scientists, activists
• Exhibitions: Showcasing women artists, inventors, pioneers
• Reading lists: Age-appropriate books on women’s contributions
• Writing contests: Essays, poetry on women who inspire

Intersectional Representation

Modern WHM emphasizes inclusive storytelling:

• Women of color: Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm, Maya Angelou, Dolores Huerta
• LGBTQ+ women: Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Audre Lorde, Bayard Rustin
• Disabled women: Helen Keller, Frida Kahlo, Judy Heumann
• Indigenous women: Wilma Mankiller, Winona LaDuke, Deb Haaland
• Working-class women: Labor organizers, domestic workers, factory strikers

Statistics Highlighting Gender Gaps (U.S., 2023)

• Wage gap: Women earn 82 cents for every dollar men earn (wider for women of color)
• Leadership: 10.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women
• Politics: 28% of Congress is women (highest in U.S. history, but far from parity)
• STEM fields: Women hold 28% of STEM jobs
• Unpaid labor: Women perform 2+ hours more housework/childcare daily than men

Criticism & Debates

Month-long observance questioned:

• Why one month? Shouldn’t women’s contributions be integrated year-round?
• Performative activism: Companies tout women for 31 days, ignore equity the other 11 months
• “Add women and stir”: Tokenism vs. structural change
• Trans inclusion: Debates about defining “women” in conservative states

Backlash:

• Anti-feminist movements dismiss WHM as “identity politics”
• “What about Men’s History Month?” (answer: rest of the year)

Key Figures Highlighted (Commonly Featured)

Suffrage & Civil Rights:

• Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells

Science & Innovation:

• Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Katherine Johnson, Mae Jemison

Arts & Literature:

• Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe

Politics & Leadership:

• Eleanor Roosevelt, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton

Activism:

• Gloria Steinem, Malala Yousafzai, Dolores Huerta, Angela Davis

Corporate Participation

Brands often release campaigns (quality varies):

• Dove: “Real Beauty” campaigns, body positivity
• Nike: “Dream Crazier” (Serena Williams narration)
• Google Doodles: Daily spotlights of women throughout March
• Social media filters: Instagram/Snapchat “Who’s your WHM inspiration?” features

Related Hashtags

#WHM, #WomensHistoryMonth2024, #HerStory, #WomenInHistory, #SheInspiresMe, #EqualPay, #WomenEmpowerment, #BreakTheGlass Ceiling, #WomenWhoInspire, #MarchForWomen

Sources

• National Women’s History Alliance: https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org
• Library of Congress Women’s History Month resources: https://www.loc.gov/
• U.S. Census Bureau gender statistics: https://www.census.gov
• Pew Research Center: Women and Leadership (2023)
• Social media trends: Sprout Social, Brandwatch, 2018-2023