Women’s History Month Allows Us to Honor Remarkable Women of Today and Remember Those That Paved the Way
W
omen’s History Month, which takes place during the whole month of March, is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society. It has been observed annually in the US since 1987. Celebrating women for a whole month provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the amazing contributions of women like Abigail Addams, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Kamala Harris and so many other remarkable women who have greatly impacted US history. It also lends itself to honoring and celebrating women making a difference today, locally.
From 1993 until her death in 2020, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the second female justice, and the first Jewish female justice on the Supreme Court. She provided a strong voice in favor of gender equality, the rights of workers and the separation of church and state.
It wasn’t so long ago that women didn’t have the right to vote, but look at how far women have come since this was attained on August 8, 1920. There is now a woman serving as the Vice President of the US, in the White House. This is an accomplishment that the women who fought for the right to vote could never have dreamed of, yet, through their blood, sweat and tears, they led the way for it to happen. Today, Vice President Kamala Harris is an inspiration to all women, especially to little girls, who have now learned that anything is possible as a woman. It also wasn’t so long ago that women couldn’t go to college, which is something unfathomable to the empowered women of today, who are doctors, lawyers, CEOs, professors, scientists, politicians, and businesswomen. Without the efforts of the strong women who came before us, competing for the same jobs and wages as men would not be achievable today. In fact, according to Biz Journal, “every board of directors in the S&P 500 now has a woman on the board; and, as a result of the 2020 election, women now make up a quarter of all members of the 117th Congress.” Women have also made huge contributions to culture as artists, writers, actors, dancers, chefs, and so much more, leaving their marks on the world through their passions. We study them in school and learning about their set-backs and achievements helps to propel women of today to dream and achieve the impossible.
Kamala Devi Harris is serving as the 49th vice president of the United States. She is not only the first female US vice president, she is also the first African American and first Asian American vice president.
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Suburban Essex
March 2021
Women’s History Month reminds us that it is important not to take for granted all of the benefits women in the US enjoy today. Celebrating women helps us to remember all of the remarkable women who have paved the way to make so much possible for the women of today.
