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Since 1987, the month of March has been recognized as National Women's History Month in the United States. A time to study and celebrate women's history, National Women's History Month began in 1978 as Women's History Week in Sonoma County, California. The Education Task Force of the county's Commission on the Status of Women scheduled this first observance for the week of March 8, specifically to include International Women's Day. In 1981, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Representative Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) introduced the Joint Congressional Resolution that turned Sonoma County's annual celebration into National Women's History Week. It was celebrated as such every March, during the week of International Women's Day, until 1986; at that point, the National Women's History Project successfully petitioned Congress to declare all of March National Women's History Month. In every year since then, March - by congressional resolution and presidential proclamation - has been Women's History Month." image from LOC & text from American Women's History Online |
Developed by the National Women's History Museum, this video provides a brief look at the history of Women's History Month, International Women's Day, and the women who made it possible.
For more information about Women's History Month, check out these library resources!
