Every March of every year is known in the United States as the Women’s Heritage Month (WHM), also referred to as Women’s History Month. During this month, many events and celebrations take place to honor women’s contributions to the history and development of the country. However, what today is considered a tradition was not always treated this way. Although almost every person had a woman in their life to whom they could regard highly in their time of need, the country-wide acknowledgment still required a lot of work. WHM is a result of countless women’s hardships and devotion from the beginning of the 20th century – they steadily fought for the right to be acknowledged and rightfully deserved it.
The WHM history begins with a single demonstration that had no precedent at that time. On February 23, 1909, women of New York City marched through the streets demanding the improvement of work conditions and vote rights (Gordon, 2019). Their example launched the first wave of feminism in the U.S. and motivated women in other parts of the world. As a result, at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, Women’s Day was pronounced international (Gordon, 2019). The first International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated on March 19, 1911, in U.S. and Europe. The wave of feminism lasted until the women’s right to vote was achieved and receded shortly after, but it managed to lay a foundation for the future steps.
The WHM history continues in the second half of the 20th century. The IWD was revived during the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with the gradual ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (Gordon, 2019). Moreover, with the help of feminist activists, the Women’s History Week (WHW) concept was initiated by California’s Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women in 1978 (Gordon, 2019). Together with the Sarah Lawrence College’s Women’s History Institute, California’s Commission on the Status of Women managed to transfer the matter of WHW to the U.S. Congress. Consequently, in 1980 the WHW was declared officially, only to be prolonged to a month in 1987 (Gordon, 2019). Overall, WHM went hand in hand with the women’s emancipation, and it is in their close connection where the WHM’s significance and importance lie.
Although I value history greatly, I never needed its help to acknowledge WHM because I already had a perfect reason right in front of my eyes – my mother. She always inspired me with her unbreakable will, which she preserved even in the most challenging times. For six years, she managed to take care of three children all by herself. During that time, she got into a traffic accident and could not walk for some time. Nevertheless, she knew the children needed her, so she pushed herself beyond limits so that she could walk again. When she could finally come back to work, another tragedy happened at her workplace that almost took away her life. Despite that, she never forgot her duty as a mother; she managed to recover against all odds. She inspired me never to give up and fight for everything I want in life. She taught me, by her example, that even the impossible is possible.
WHM’s history is a history of a struggle for the greater purpose; that is why its celebration and remembrance are so significant. On all possible scales – from a single mother caring for her children to all women across the globe – they showed their strength, defended their rights, and the world acknowledged it. Therefore, it seems only fitting to pay respect and show gratitude for every feat they accomplished.
References
Gordon, H. R. (2019). Women’s History Month. In Gelsthorpe, L., Bernat, F. P. & Frailing, K. (Eds.)., The Encyclopedia of Women and Crime, John Wiley & Sons.