03/01/2026
🚺Umoja
Here are 5 facts about Women's History Month:
Origins in Local Activism:
The observance started as a week-long event in Sonoma County, California, in 1978, timed to include International Women's Day (March 8th).
From Week to Month:
President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation for National Women's History Week in 1980, and in 1987, Congress expanded it to a full month,.
Annual Presidential Support:
Since 1995, every U.S. President has issued an annual proclamation designating March as Women's History Month, recognizing women's achievements.
Annual Themes:
The National Women's History Alliance selects a theme each year, like "Celebrating Women in STEM" (2013) or "Valiant Women of the Vote" (2020/2021), to focus the celebration.
Rooted in Women's Day:
Its origins connect to the first U.S. Women's Day in 1909, stemming from labor protests by women in New York demanding better pay, hours, and suffrage.
ABC News correspondent Juju Chang gives us a history lesson on how it grew into the celebration we know today.