May

Women’s History Month, now celebrated annually in the United States, grew out of a week long celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society organized by the school district of Sonoma, California, in 1979. The idea quickly caught on within communities, schools and organizations across the country. In 1981, the U.S. Congress made it official, passing a resolution establishing Women’s History Week. Six years later, the event was expanded into the entire month of March.

Each year, the National Women’s History Project selects a theme that highlights achievements by distinguished women in specific fields, from medicine and the environment to art and politics. The 2010 theme, “Writing Women Back into History,” commemorates the project’s 30th anniversary and recognizes efforts to document women’s accomplishments and experiences in textbooks and other educational materials.

Women’s History Month coincides with International Women’s Day, which many countries celebrate every March 8 with demonstrations, educational initiatives and customs such as offering gifts and flowers. The United Nations has sponsored the holiday since 1975.

The purpose of Women's History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women's history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women, in hopes that the day will soon come when it's impossible to teach or learn history without remembering these contributions.

To honor this special month, I encourage you to explore these sites, learning more about one important aspect of the history of all people. Women's history isn't just for women, although many women find that studying women's history helps them realize that women's place is everywhere.

In celebration of Women's History Month, WNYWOMEN.COM is recommending highlighting the many resources on women's history and culture available from the link below's extensive online collection.

http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/tm/women.html

To view a short video dedicated to The Women Of The World, and all that they do, please click the play button on the video below.