Women's History Month header
Poster from 2017 Women's March

Each March, we celebrate Women’s History Month, a chance to explore the innumerable contributions of women to American history.

Women’s History Month has its roots in California where a group of historians and activists planned a Women’s History Week in 1978 to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8. The National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) planned a week-long celebration to raise awareness about women’s contributions to society. The movement spread across the country, and in 1980 President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 National Women’s History Week. Hundreds of individuals and several women's educational and historical groups worked to expand National Women's History Week to a month. In 1987, Congress declared the month of March as Women’s History Month.

The theme for Women's History Month 2024 is Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, as chosen by the NWHA. This theme "recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions." (NWHA)

A goal of Women’s History Month is to bring women and their contributions into the national discourse and understanding of American history. We invite you to explore resources that can help broaden your understanding of the contributions women have made to building the country we know today, from the earliest founding Americans to today’s barrier breakers like Kamala Harris.

International Women's Day

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8. The theme for IWD 2024 is Inspire Inclusion. Learn More >> 

 

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