Every year, the month of March is set aside to celebrate and honor women's contributions to history, culture and society in Alabama and across the nation.
Women’s History Month is also an opportunity to highlight the achievements of women across various fields. This includes women in science and politics, arts and business, and those who inspire future generations.
From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks and Marsha P. Johnson, the timeline of women’s history milestones stretches back to the founding of the United States.
This year, the National Women’s History Month theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,” according to the National Women’s History Alliance. The organization says the 2024 theme recognizes women throughout the country who believe a positive future can only be achieved by eliminating bias and discrimination “entirely from our lives and institutions.” More on the 2024 theme can be found here.
The advocacy and awareness group Live Your Dream reports the first Women’s Day happened on February 28, 1909, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the New York City garment workers’ strikes. However, the organization informs that Women’s History Month did not become a regular occurrence until decades later.
Women’s History Month has officially been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987, according to History.com. But the outlet reports that “the actual celebration of Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society organized by the school district of Sonoma, California, in 1978. Presentations were given at dozens of schools, hundreds of students participated in a “Real Woman” essay contest and a parade was held in downtown Santa Rosa.”
History.com reports a few years later, the observance caught on nationally. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week.
Additionally, the Live Your Dream’s website says, in 1981, California’s Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women created Women’s Week, coinciding with International Women’s Day (March 8), to honor women’s achievements.
The idea gained momentum and in 1987, the National Women’s History Project (now known as the National Women's History Alliance) successfully lobbied Congress to designate all of March as National Women’s History Month. Since then, it has become an annual observance in the United States and globally. Read more on the history here.
During this observance, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame honors women from the state who have made an impact in Alabama Music. Whether they are singers, songwriters, producers, musicians or other music professionals, these women have made a name for themselves in the music industry. Click here to learn more.
