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Women’s History Month

People around the world celebrate Women’s History Month every March, especially on March 8, International Women’s Day. It is a great time to think about history through the eyes of women.

As women have fought to have rights and equality, they have had a long journey to have Women’s History Month.

The beginning of everything was on March 8, 1857 in New York City. Garment workers marched to speak up against inhuman working conditions and low wages. Yes magazine talked about how International Women’s Day was made and started.

“The police attacked the protesters and dispersed them, but the movement continued and led to the creation of the first women’s labor men,” Yes magazine said.

The next step was another march in New York City in 1908. Women marched for shorter work hours, better salaries, voting rights, and to end child labor.

Executive Director of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, Carol Rosenblatt, analyzed the protestants and their efforts in yes magazine.

“Many of those who protested for working rights were young immigrants from Europe who came to the United States seeking better opportunities,” Rosenblatt said. “Workers in this country also died in their efforts to advance workers’ rights, but they weren’t fearful in the same way that they were in some of the countries that they came from.”

After the protest, the Socialist Party of America held the first International Women’s day on Feb 28 in 1908 in the United States. Two years later, International Women’s Day was hosted for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland on March 19. More than a million men also supported the holiday.

In the US, women got their voting rights on Aug 18, 1920 after ratifying the 19th Amendment.

In 1981, Congress passed Public Law 97-28 which requested the president to proclaim the first Women’s History Week be organized during March 1982 in the US. For the next five years, Congress continued to have the Women’s History Week.

In 1987, Congress finally passed the Public Law 100-9 which said every March would be Women’s History Month.

According to the National Women History Museum (NWHM), the theme of Women’s History Month in 2021 is “Valiant Women of Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.”

While has been over a century since women finally got voting rights in the US and celebrate it, women still face discrimination.

Director of women’s chapel at Oklahoma Christian University, Shaila Russell, pointed out women still face struggles in general even though they have made advances in society.

“If you look at the cost of living for women individually and men individually, men already make a higher wage,” Russell said. “I think it is something that is very serious and can affect someone’s life.”

Although women have voting rights, the journey for equality has not ended yet.

The White House talked about how Women’s History Month affects others.

“Women’s History Month offers an important opportunity for us to shine a light on the extraordinary legacy of trailblazing American women and girls who have built, shaped, and improved upon our nation,” the White House said.

Women’s History Month must be a great time to look back at history and to improve today’s society.

Russell, who has worked hard for a better future for women, shared her motivation to have a women’s chapel.

“The whole reason that women’s chapel was founded was to broaden that community of women on campus and make it a safe place where women can grow and learn together,” Russell said. “We just want to build a stronger community and be very inclusive.”

All people have a great opportunity to think about women’s history deeply during March.

“During Women’s History Month, let us honor the accomplished and visionary women who have helped build our country, including those whose contributions have not been adequately recognized and celebrated,” The White House said.

March is a time to consider how to ameliorate society to further support women.

“There is always room to improve your country and to say something,” Russell said.

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