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 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 National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) selects a theme for Women’s History Month each year. This year, the NWHA is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories". This theme recognizes trailblazing women, past and present, who have devoted their talents to media and storytelling. From print and news to tv, radio, and the stage, this theme celebrates women who have shaped American history and culture through story.

A goal of Women’s History Month is to bring women and their contribution 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. For IWD 2023, the theme is "Embrace Equity”. This theme encourages equity-based solutions to injustices and acknowledges that women are a diverse group that experience gender bias in different ways.

Women's History Recommended Reads

Women's History for Kids & Families

Women's History for Teens