March is Women’s History Month and events are planned throughout the month to celebrate women’s history throughout the United States and the whole world. This month is dedicated to important women throughout history like the women who worked in an Augusta Georgia cotton mill from the time they were pregnant till childbirth without maternity leave or the Japanese American women who lost their homes during World War II when taken to camps during war evacuation.

“I think the significance of Women’s History Month is honoring the women who came before us and allowed us to be in the place we are today. It’s important to celebrate Women’s History Month because [it] is something that is often overlooked by the white man’s history,” junior Ella Hamilton said.

The first International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8, 1911. The reasoning for the day is the significance of female textile workers striking against unfair working conditions in hopes of equality in 1857 years before the day was established by law. Many countries throughout the world celebrate this day and over 27 celebrate the month through many activities such as giving loved ones presents. The United Nations has supported the celebration since 1975 a few decades after its creation.

“I think the significance [of the month] is that we need to understand how much work women have had to do in order to get to where we are today. I think it is important to celebrate because future generations should know what the world was like before their time and how women are very hard workers. [For] example while the men were fighting for our country the women were making parts and providing medical services. That is remarkable and being a woman is something you should be proud of,” Ava Cook, a sophomore said.

THE FIGHT FOR GENDER EQUALITY
March Women’s History Month is still important as the fight for gender equality is still going on specifically in the workplace. There is still a divide in the amount of pay a woman receives for the same job as a man. According to a study done by McKinsey and Company in 2022 regarding women in the workplace shows that in the average company for every 100 men promoted only 87 women are promoted and only 82 women of color. The struggle for equality continues and this month represents how it started.

“The significance of Women’s History Month is to reflect and bring awareness to the diverse experiences and changes women have made in society. It is important to celebrate Women’s History Month because it reinforces the commitment women have made in the past to advance equality within human rights,” junior Macy Collins said.

THEMES
Come past themes for the month include 2019’s “Balance for better,” 2020’s “An equal world is an enables world,” 2021’s “Choose the challenge” and 2022’s “Breaking bias”. This year 2023 the theme is “Celebrating women who tell our stories.” The National Women’s History Alliances determines the theme every year and also promotes multicultural women’s history by honoring women with diverse backgrounds. The theme is intended to unify the world and solidify the fight for inclusiveness and equality.

“This year’s theme makes me feel hopeful that society can reflect on the endurance and persistence women have experienced by sharing their own stories. No bias can switch the story and it showcases the hard truth within our society,” Collins said.

OTHER PERSPECTIVES
“The significance of Women’s History Month is to recognize the importance of women in society because many things we get from women are taken for granted. It’s also important to recognize groups that are/were marginalized so we learn from mistakes,” freshman Seth Love said.

SIGNIFICANCE
This month follows the intention of bringing a reason to recognize all these things, big and small, that women do. Not only have they made mundane inventions that we use often like the dishwasher by Josephine Cochran in 1872 or windshield wiper by Mary Anderson in 1903. It is important that women be recognized for their significance in everyone’s lives.

The colors green, purple, and white represent Woman’s History as a whole and the reasons to celebrate it. The colors were chosen during the first celebration of Women’s History with the intent for green to signify hope, purple for dignity and justice and white to represent purity. For years to follow the colors have stained an importance in viewing Women’s History.

“I think the significance [of the month] is to recognize the efforts of overlooked women in America. We celebrate the women who worked hard to make this country what it is and set standards for our gender equality. I love [the] theme, it’s a chance to give little girls someone to look up to who also represents who they are,” junior Sarah Arriola said.

Many students agree about the significance of the month and also how the theme relates to the celebration of important women throughout the decades.

“Women’s History Month is a chance to honor women’s accomplishments and contributions of women made in history. It’s important to celebrate it because it brings awareness to milestones that were reached by women. This year’s theme has a purpose of recognizing women that stood up and sacrificed, which allow[s] for women now to have a voice of their own,” sophomore Airi Misugi said.