Women's History Month: A Brief History

March is Women's History Month, a national celebration that only began in recent years. In 1981, Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized the President to proclaim the week of March 7, 1982, as Women's History Week. However, in 1987, Congress then designated the entire month of March as Women's History Month. 

Since 1995 sitting Presidents have issued proclamations designating March as Women's History Month to celebrate the contributions women have made to the country in a variety of fields throughout history. 

The celebration of women's achievements contributions actually dates back to 1909 when there was a single day delegated as "Women's History Day" in NYC. It fell on Feb 28, 1909, the one-year anniversary of the garment workers' strikes when nearly 15,000 immigrant women marched through Manhattan in protest to horrendous working conditions. 

Every year, Women's History Month has a theme. This year, the Women's History Alliance extended the 2020 theme into 2021: "Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced." The theme focuses on women's political involvement and leadership. 

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Post originally appeared on History Obsessed.