While you are catching up on sleep during spring break, boiling eggs for Easter or showing off your Irish pride for St. Patrick's Day, don't forget to celebrate National Women's Month.
In 1980, Molly McGregor, along with four other women, founded the National Women's History Project (NWHP) in an effort to bring greater awareness to the history of women.
McGregor and her group had learned that "no more than 3 percent of [history text] content was devoted to women." They petitioned Congress and the White House for a national week of celebration of women's achievements.
"Our goal is to challenge cultural assumptions about who women are and what they do," said McGregor from her headquarters in Santa Rosa, Calif.
"We chose March because March 8 is International Women's Day," she added.
President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation asking citizens to recognize and remember the contributions of women to society. By 1987, governors across the nation chose March as National Women's Month.
NWHP holds national events during the month that spotlight women and their accomplishments of late and throughout history. This year's theme is "Women Change America." This month, NWHP and affiliates "celebrate and honor the role of American women in transforming our culture, history, and politics."
This year's National Women's month also celebrates the 85th anniversary of women obtaining the right to vote.
Locally, The University of Memphis celebrates its first National Women's Month. Dr. Rosie Bingham, vice president for student affairs, approached Dr. Joy Stout about the need to bring the celebration to the campus. Stout said she was excited about coordinating the event.
"I want to introduce the notion that there are women in non-traditional roles that have gone beyond the glass ceiling," said Stout, director of adult student and commuter services.
She organized a committee that includes Dr. Beverly Bond, Angie Dunlap, Dr. Nele Hempel, Dr. Susan Matthews, Dr. D'Ann Penner, Dr. Janaan Sherman and Dr. Barbara Smith. Sally Gates, president of the student government association, and Kapriski Mack, president of the black student association, serve as student advisors on the committee.
Some of the events being held are today's Panel of Women in Non-traditional Roles at 4 p.m. in the Rose Theater, Women of Achievement Award Celebration on March 20 at the U of M Holiday Inn and several movie nights.
McGregor added that they do not wish to confine the celebration of women to just one month and hopes that one day there will be no need to isolate a time to recognize women.
"Men and boys need to have a real idea of who women are instead of the assumptions they are being fed [by the media]," she said. "But we are obviously winning because we're still here after 25 years."
- March Events for National Women's Month"
March 20, 1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", is published and becomes America's first book to sell over 1 million copies
Mar 30, 1888 - The National Council of Women of the U.S. is organized by Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
March 12, 1912 - Juliette Gordon Low assembled 18 girls together in Savannah, Georgia, for the first-ever Girl Scout meeting
March 4, 1917 - Jeannette Rankin of Montana is sworn in as the first female member of Congress
March 2, 1973 - Women begin pilot training for the U.S. Navy
March 1, 1978 - Women's History Week is first observed in Sonoma, California
March 21, 1986 - Debi Thomas becomes first African-American woman to win a gold medal in a world skating competition
March 1, 1987 - Congressional resolution naming Women's History Month is passed
Mar 31, 1776 - Abigail Adams writes to husband John who is helping to frame the Declaration of Independence: "Remember the ladies..."
