Women’s History Month is a month to celebrate and acknowledge contributions women have made to society. March has been the annual month for Women’s History Month since the 1980’s. This month is meant to show our appreciation towards women and honor their achievements in America’s history. It all started in 1978, when President Jimmy Carter planned “Women’s History Week”. They originally had the week coincide with March 8, which is International Women’s Day. Eventually, the history week spread across the country, causing other communities to follow in suit to this celebration. 

Coming into the 1980’s, groups of women led by the Women’s History Project, had successfully made March a national recognition for women. That following February, President Jimmy Carter officially made the National Women’s History Week during the week of March 8th. 

A few years later, in 1987, Congress made a big leap for women by passing Law 100-9, which made March, “Women’s History Month”. Since the 1990’s, each elected president has made many proclamations designated to this month.

 Now, the Women’s History Project is known as the National Women’s History Alliance. Every year this organization selects and makes a yearly theme. This years theme is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”. This theme provides a tribute to the work of caregivers and frontline workers (nurses, doctors, police, etc.). It also shows the recognition of the hundreds of ways women have “healed” and “hoped” throughout history. Their contributions and hard work have made impacts on their last year’s theme, Valiant Women of Vote: Refusing to be Silenced. Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on the courage of women, and be aware of their efforts in history.