March is Women’s History Month, highlighting not only its importance but recognizing the sacrifice and effort it took to allow women a place that’s equal in society.
In March of 1987 congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March as Women’s History Month. This month not only highlights the achievements of women and the women’s suffrage movement, but it empowers young women and girls.
For decades women were seen as unequal in the eyes of government and society. Things we take for granted today had to be fought for in the early 20th century. The right to vote, equal employment, non-discrimination in the workforce, the ability to get a loan or credit card, the list goes on.
All of this stems from the why? Why is this month important to women’s and American history? Inequality. Put simply, the month of March marks our growth as a society and government to make things equal between all people, including between genders.
The women’s suffrage movement began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention. At this convention 15 resolutions were created based on creating social equality. This included making women equal in civil society and in government.
After gaining the right to vote via the 19th Amendment, the movement began to fight for rights in the workforce. This led to the 1964 Title VII Civil Rights Act.
Title VII prohibited employment discrimination based not only on sex, but also on race, religion and national origins. This improved life for many different marginalized groups.
Shortly after, the Birth Control Movement celebrated a massive win in 1965 with the Supreme Court ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut. The court stated it was unconstitutional for the government to prevent married couples from using birth control.
This later led to a similar ruling in Roe v. Wade which stated a woman’s right to have an abortion is constitutionally protected, another massive win for women.
From there, women fought for the right to pursue higher education. Title IX of the Education Codes of 1972 then granted equal access to higher education.
While many of us today may feel disconnected from the original women’s suffrage movement, many still feel empowered to fight for our rights and further equality within the U.S.
While we may have rights written into law, in society we lack our own spaces. However, that is changing. Title 9, an all women’s sports bar, opened in East Liberty, Pittsburgh in February.
Alongside this other events like marches, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence global campaign (Nov. 25 to Dec. 10) and International Women’s Day (March 8), all aim to empower and support women globally.
This March support the women around you. Fight for our rights, shop at women-owned businesses, research our history, read women centric books and most importantly, support the community we’ve built.
