Every year, Women’s History Month is celebrated in March to recognize women’s accomplishments throughout American history. EMPOWER Club co-president Maddie Boudov ’21 said women have not been fairly represented in history and that Women’s History Month encourages classes to discuss landmark female achievements. 

“I think [Women’s History Month is] important because women have so frequently been written out of history,” Boudov  said. “In most classes, I and many other students have had the experience of learning about a time period or an important historical issue and then at the end of the unit had the one token day where we learn about what women were doing during that period, and that is not enough. Women’s History Month allows us to delve deeper into a history that is often forgotten and learn about the women that we should have learned about all along.”

In 1981, Congress enacted a law allowing the president to declare the week of March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week,” according to the Women’s History Month website. After multiple resolutions, Congress took legislative action again in 1987, designating  March as Women’s History Month to celebrate women’s achievements in the United States.

Students recognize the month on their own and/or in classes or clubs

Allison Park ’21 emphasized the importance and relevance of Women’s History Month for all generations.

“Women’s History Month offers an opportunity to truly hone in and commend the achievements of women,” Park said. “As women are commonly given only obligatory blurbs in textbooks, I find that normalizing the accomplishments of women so that those in my generation and future generations don’t face the same hurdles is extremely important.”

Park said learning about female figures who played vital roles in history can empower and positively influence women.

“Reading about women who are often overlooked throughout history is truly inspiring,” Park said. “I’ve learned about composers, such as Clara Schumann and Rebecca Clarke, who weren’t able to release their own works under their own names, as well as women like Dolores Huerta and Maud Wood Park, who were strong activists in their respective fields but unfortunately aren’t considered ‘household names’ in this day and age.”

Zoe Shapiro ’23 said a woman in history whom she strongly admires is Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“She was such a powerful woman and stopped at nothing to fight for equal rights for everyone,” Shapiro said. “Her death was extremely devastating, and I just hope that we all can thrive in her beautiful legacy.”

All students celebrate a variety of women whom they admire during the month

Zoe Shin ’23 said she looks up to many women in history, including activist Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who dedicated her life to drawing global attention to the threat to girls’ education in Pakistan. In addition, she admires Angela Davis, who has been at the forefront of many movements, such as the feminist movement and the Black Panther Party, for over 50 years.

“[Yousafzai] so passionately advocated for girls’ education that she risked her life for the cause,” Shin said. “I [also] admire that despite the state of California wrongfully imprisoning [Angela Davis], after release, Angela was undeterred and continues to advocate for civil rights and gender equity.” 

While women’s achievements should be celebrated, Leila Pagel ’22 said that people should also recognize the challenges women have faced throughout history.

“I think it is important to remember all of the important things women have accomplished throughout history but also acknowledge the inequalities women have suffered and continue to suffer today,” Pagel said. “Bringing attention to these problems and working to solve them with awareness and legislation is a very important and often overlooked issue.”