Every March, we celebrate Women’s History Month especially to recognise the achievements, struggles, and contributions of women throughout history. And in preparation for the month of March yet again, we reflect on why this recognition is important. For women and girls around the world, understanding this history is about raising awareness on the possibilities that lies in the future, not just about the past.
How Women’s History Month Began
In 1909, the first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States, organized by the Socialist Party of America to honour women garment workers who had protested for better working conditions. This early recognition planted a powerful seed.
In 1978, a small group of educators and activists in Sonoma County, California, organized Women’s History Week, choosing March 8 to align with International Women’s Day. Their goal was simple but radical for its time: to ensure that women’s contributions were included in history education. The idea gained momentum nationwide.
By 1987, after years of advocacy, the U.S. Congress officially designated the entire month of March as Women’s History Month; acknowledging that one week was not enough to tell women’s stories.
More Than a Celebratory Month
Women’s History Month exists because absence from history is not the same as absence from impact. Despite being excluded by law or tradition in history books, women have always been contributing to advancing science, shaping cultures, educating communities, and sustaining families.
When we learn women’s history, we learn that:
- Leadership is not gendered
- Our voices matter and we should believe in the power of our voices
- Progress is possible, even when it feels slow
Women’s History Month reminds us that rights we enjoy today: access to education, voting, legal protection; were fought for. And many girls around the world are still fighting for those same rights.
Every story we uncover, every voice we amplify, and every girl we educate brings us closer to a more just and equitable world. In March and every other month, Baytree commits to learning, teaching, and uplifting the stories of women who shaped our world and the girls who will shape its future.
Written by Heritage Sanmi-Lawal
