March Women's History Month

March Women’s History Month
2007 National Theme
"Generations of Women Moving History Forward"

WHM’s History: Telling Her Story

National Women’s History Month is a new tradition in U.S. History. This year marks only the twentieth anniversary of the celebration. The effort to bring national recognition to women’s contributions throughout history began as a grass roots endeavor in Sonoma County, California. In 1978, when women’s history was still rarely a topic in elementary and secondary classrooms, Sonoma County instituted a "Women’s History Week" celebration. Soon many communities were organizing programs to highlight women’s history. In 1979 leaders from around the country came together to support a congressional resolution for a National Women’s History Week. 1980 saw the formation of the National Women’s History Project, an organization focused on recognizing women’s accomplishments. This organization, along with others, led lobbying for the expansion of Women’s History Week to the whole month of March. In 1987, only nine years after formal celebrations of women’s history in March began, Congress passed a resolution recognizing National Women’s History Month.

Why should we celebrate women’s history?

In 1980 women made up only three percent of the material in history books. Women’s history studies has come a long way in a short period of time. Recognizing women’s accomplishments and their participation in history provides a more accurate account of this nation’s past, but also serves to empower and set an example for today’s generation. As the study of women’s history progresses we see that there is no one category of "woman" that made its mark, but rather a kaleidoscope of experiences and realities in which women worked and lived. It is important that women’s history continues to work on telling all women’s stories. The American experience has not only differed because of gender, but has also been largely based on race and class. Therefore, women’s history is by no means complete. The past has yet to be chronicled and we are writing tomorrow’s history today. The National Women’s History Month theme for 2007—"Generations of Women Moving History Forward"—highlights the fact that we are as much a part of history as history is a part of us. In March we not only have the opportunity to acknowledge the work that has been done by women, but also the work that we have yet to do.

Bibliography

	DuBois, Ellen Carol. "Three Decades of Women’s History." Women’s Studies 35, (2006): 47-64. http://search.ebscohost.com.

	"History of National Women’s History Month," National Women’s History Project, http://www.nwhp.org/whm/history.php.

	Lerner, Gerda. "U.S. Women’s History: Past, Present, and Future." Journal of Women’s History 16, (2004): 10-27. http://proquest.umi.com.