My first experience with sexism was when I was six years old. I joined a boys’ and girls’ soccer team. Though everyone on the team was the same age and had the same experience, the girls on the team were singled out when we made common mistakes. Though I was young, I remember being angry and upset by this ― why was it fair that the boys’ achievements on the team were glorified, and the girls’ were minimized?
Unfortunately, this sort of behavior is not contained within the attitudes of children. During this time of year, women have a higher chance of overhearing the question, “Why isn’t there a men’s history month?”
From grade school soccer teams to the high school history class to the boss’s promotion meeting, women constantly hear about the achievements of men. The month of March is a time to celebrate women and their accomplishments throughout history. In a time where women are often discredited in a variety of areas, it is more important than ever to find ways to show appreciation.
In 1987, Women’s History Month was established after Congress passed an act expanding “Women’s History Week” into “Women’s History Month.” The National Women’s History Alliance continued 2020’s theme of “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced” in celebration of the women who helped bring about suffrage for women.
Throughout history, women have achieved great things despite restrictive social norms; this month is a testament to their trials and triumphs. For example, in 1903, Marie Curie became the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize for her discovery of the element radium.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, her achievement was crucial to the development of X-rays. Rosalind Franklin’s work was crucial to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA, but key aspects of her work were taken without credit by Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins in 1953 (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Sojourner Truth, the first black woman to sue a white man and succeed, preached about equal rights and abolitionism. According to HISTORY, she became one of “the world’s best-known human rights crusaders,” which is a victory for women and people of color.
But what about women today? With sexual assault accusations from women that are often ignored or brushed aside, the continued perpetuation of stereotypes about how “emotional” women are and many other issues, it seems a daunting task indeed to find ways to uplift women. But that is what Women’s History Month is all about — by remembering the past triumphs of women, we are empowered for future triumphs.
Ultimately, it is up to you to uplift women. How can you support them in their endeavors and validate their ideas and opinions even outside of Women’s History Month? Some ideas include listening to women and making sure their voices are heard in group discussions, respecting their decisions and encouraging them in whatever path they choose in life. If women in previous eras could achieve so much while facing harsher stereotypes, imagine what we could accomplish today and in the future.
For more information, or if you’d like to see the National Women’s History Alliance’s work, please visit womenshistory.org and https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/sojourner-truth.
