It's that time again. Time to celebrate the women who made me who am, both past and present. The one's that inspire me, challenge me, and motivate me.
The establishment of Women's History Month started in the United States as a Woman's Day, held on February 28th, 1909. It honored the 1908 garment worker's strike that focused on working conditions within the industry. Europe followed suit in 1910 to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women.
The current date goes back to 1917, and the Russian Revolution. Women there chose that day to protest and strike for "Bread and Peace". Four years later, the government acknowledged their efforts by granting women the right to vote.
The United Nations officially recognized International Women's Day in 1977 as March 8th. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. Many, but not all, countries acknowledge the date.
My reason for doing this is far more personal. Some key female elders had passed in recent years. Reflecting on them made me think about the moments in time when things they said or did caused me to reflect on who I have become. Some were fleeting moments, while others were deeply meaningful discussions. There are some who I would not have been open to in the past, and now hold dear. Each held a special place in my heart, and in the hearts and souls of others.
And then, there was the awareness that some would never be publicly acknowledged for the immense joy, knowledge, and pleasure they brought to the world. That they would never pop up in a browser search, or Wikipedia, or anything like it. I also have a partner who is an accomplished genealogist, and keeps coming up with similar women from the past. Far more women, in fact, than men, which is no surprise.
So I decided to do something about it. My own moment in time to acknowledge and honor them. Give them their due. Remind people of their accomplishments that made our world better.
I've never met many of these women. Some have achieved global stardom. Some only exist in scrapbooks and family tales. At one point or another, all provided invaluable perspective and inspiration to me.
Last year's list included women that are primarily known as:
Activists (2)
Authors / Poets (4)
Chefs (1)
Entertainers / Musicians / Actresses (5)
Family members (4)
Philosophers (1)
Photographers & Artists (2)
Politicians & Government Officials (6)
Psychologists (1)
Publishers (1)
Social Media Creator (1)
Sports / Broadcasters (1)
Teachers (2)
Of course, those are merely segments of who each is, but critically important when it comes to me.
My hope is that you, too, give consideration to the women that shaped who you are today. It's in that light that I as:
Who are the women that shaped the person you are right now?
What was it that made them special to you?
How has their influence impacted you?
You can learn more here:
https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/Womens-History-Toolkit-2025.pdf
Additional information can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_History_Month
Let the celebration begin!
#womenshistorymonth
#womanshistoryday
#Creativeworkhour
#CWH
