March is the special time of year where the immeasurable impact women have made on society is commemorated. From the writers of romance to the ladies who live out their dream jobs every day, the celebrities we admire, change-makers, and even our history making vice president, Women's History Month gives us ample chance to lift them all up. But we also want to take the time to look to the past. Why is Women's History Month in March and how did it even come to be in the first place?
It all began with one single day in 1908 in New York City when thousands of women united and marched for better labor laws, conditions, and the right to vote. A year later on February 28, in a gathering organized by members of the Socialist Party, suffragists and socialists gathered again in Manhattan for what they called the first International Woman's Day.
The idea swiftly caught on and made its way to Europe. And in March of 1910, according to the BBC, German socialist Clara Zetkin introduced the concept at the International Conference of Women in Copenhagen. The 100 women in attendance, representing 17 countries, all agreed. International Women's Day was then formally honored on March 8, 1911.
However, due to its connections to socialism, Time reports the holiday wasn't largely recognized or celebrated in the U.S. until 1975. That's when, due to its growing popularity, the United Nations officially began sponsoring International Woman's Day on March 8.
In 1978 Woman's Day grew from a day to a week. Because of the wide-ranging interest, efforts began to secure judicial support. Success came in February 1980 after President Jimmy Carter declared in a Presidential Proclamation that the week of March 8 was officially National Women's History Week. Congressional support soon followed. As a result of its country-wide recognition and continued growth in schools, government, and organizations, by 1986, 14 states had already recognized March Women's History Month. A year later, this sparked congress to declare the holiday in perpetuity.
However we celebrate the women of history or support the women making history today, we must remember, together we all move forward to a better tomorrow.
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