By Alyna Rei

Throughout the month of March, we celebrate women: Malala, Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Frank, Amelia Earhart, and more. This month is Women’s History Month! Women’s History Month is a designated month that recognizes the important contributions women have made throughout history.

Before we celebrated a full month of women, the actual celebration only spread out a week. The “Women’s History Week” became a local celebration in 1978. The Education Task Force of Sonoma County selected the week of March 8th to go with International Women’s Day. This movement eventually spread through other communities. In 1980, a group of women and historians wanted national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8th as National Women’s Week. Since then, every community has celebrated Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress passed public law and designated March as Women’s History Month. Between 1988 and 1994, Congress kept on requesting and authorizing March as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each President has issued proclamations trying and succeeding to designate the month of March to represent Women’s History Month (womenshistory.org).

The Women History Month Alliance selects the yearly theme. This year, the theme for 2022 is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” This is a tribute to the work of caregivers and frontline workers during this pandemic. This would also be a recognition to all the women of various cultures who have provided healing and hope throughout the years (nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org).

The women that inspire me~

Many famous women inspire me, but I feel the most inspired by my family. My grandmother and my mother teach me new things everyday: how to water my plants, what to read, how to be grateful. Who are the women you celebrate?