As of March 1, we begin our celebration of Women’s History Month. For the entire month of March, we celebrate the important work done by the women of our past and the work being done by the women of our present. The month has been a dedicated month of celebration in the United States since 1987. While the month is quite clear in what it is celebrating, women, have you ever wondered how it started?
The first celebration dedicated to women was in 1978.
In Sonoma, California, a school district organized a weeklong celebration to honor women. Thee week was supposed to highlight the many contributions women have made to culture, history, and society. Schools in the school district all had presentations and events throughout the week. There was even an essay contest and a parade in neighboring downtown Santa Rosa.
This weeklong celebration started to spread, with other schools, districts, and just local communities organizing similar events. Eventually, the celebration reached federal ears and President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 to be National Women’s History Week. This presidential proclamation came in 1980. Congress continued this week celebration after that, eventually signing a resolution to formalize it.
In 1987, it expanded to a full month’s celebration.
Since the week started, a National Women’s History Project group started. They led many of the events that happened around the country and were the biggest supporters of expanding the week to a full month. By 1987, they were successful in their attempts to grow the celebration and won their petitioning to Congress to make it a full month of celebration.
The 2025 theme is “Moving Forward Together.”
Every year, the National Women’s History Alliance makes a theme for the monthlong celebration. This year, they have designated the theme as “Moving Forward Together.” The theme is meant to highlight women’s education and inspiring the younger generations. The alliance says that it will celebrate the “collective strength, equality, and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership, shaping the minds and futures of all generations.”
Why is it in March?
March became the designated month to celebrate women as International Women’s Day was already established in March. March 8 is the International Women’s Day which has been recognized by the United Nations since 1975. However, the first International Women’s Day was also held in March all the way back in 1911. Because of this, the weeklong celebration was in March, and it naturally remained in March when it expanded to a monthlong celebration.