Why We Celebrate Women's History Month: Telling Our Stories and Answering the Next Gen's Questions

This week, as February glides into March, Women’s History Month begins. And today’s girls have questions. Like why do we celebrate this and when did this even start? What do you mean there’s an annual theme and aren’t women represented in every industry by now?

We hear you. And être has answers.

First, did you know that Women’s History Month started as just a day?

Stop it.

Not kidding. Commemorating the February 28th NYC march of 15,000 suffragists in 1909, Women’s History Month started out as a single day of remembrance. A year later, Clara Zetkin suggested the day mark an international conference for women, and International Women’s Day (March 8th) was born. The United Nations made the day official in 1975 and two years later California schools began celebrating Women’s History Week. By 1987, in response to the National Women’s History Project’s petition, Congress deemed all of March to be Women’s History Month, and since then every President has officially recognized the month.

Got it. You said something about a theme?

Yep, there are actually two. When the UN began celebrating International Women’s Day, they designated a yearly theme. The IWD theme for 2023 is DIGITall: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality. But the month gets a theme each year too, bestowed by the National Women’s History Alliance. Their theme for March 2023 is Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, and we could not love it more.

Why?

Because sharing stories is how women have passed down wisdom since the dawn of time. Whisper networks, tribal circles, water cooler tips and candid advice shared across generations is how women have learned from each other and how girls have absorbed wisdom from their elders. Our stories matter.

So, if I want to become an astronaut…

We will tell you stories of Valentina Tereshkova, Sally Ride and Mae Jameson. The first female astronaut in space, the first American woman and the first Black woman, respectively, their stories will launch your dreams. Then we'll point you toward The Epic Mentor Guide where Anna Fisher, the first mom in space, shares about going from medical school to NASA, and Cady Coleman reminds you to apply to jobs bravely and set your goals high.

And if I want to take my sport to the next level…

We will show you videos of Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Jackie Joyner-Kersee on the track, and Billie Jean King and Serena Williams on the court. We’ll cue up Lindsey Vonn on the slopes, Simone Biles on the floor, and Diana Taurasi?in the paint, and point to records broken by Paralympians Trischa Zorn, Ellie Simmonds and Teresa Perales in the pool. Then we'll remind you what Kim Ng and Nancy Lieberman told us about being the very first woman in a general manager or coaching role, and send you into the game.

And if I want to change the world…

We will stand on chairs to tell you about leaders like chemist Marie Curie, congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, journalist Nellie Bly, mathematician Katherine Johnson, icon Gloria Steinem and activist Malala. We’ll bookmark advice we’ve read recently from disability advocate Haben Girma, equal pay expert Lilly Ledbetter, and inclusion champion Mita Mallick. And we'll share viral posts from rising legends Amanda Gorman, Greta Thunberg, and Marley Dias.

Because someday is today. And, as Women’s History Month starts this week, there are stories to be told.

Stories to be shared.

And yes, women are represented in virtually every industry, but we don’t always know about them or, importantly, who inspired them. So all month être will be highlighting women who are changing the world, and the role models and mentors who showed them how it’s done. That’s why we celebrate for a month instead of a day or a week.

Women’s stories are springboards for girls’ dreams.

And in 2023, no dreams are too big, too wild, or too audacious for you to have. Hold them fast and see where they take you. Years from now, yours will be added to the chronicle of stories told on a cool March morning as the celebration continues.

Looking forward,

Illana

êXTRAS: Three ways to celebrate Women's History Month you won't want to miss: Follow UN Women as they host the next session of the Commission on the Status of Women; tune into The Female Quotient's Equality Lounge at SXSW on International Women's Day; and review theSkimm's comparison of historic vs modern rule-breakers from last year. Who would you pick this year?