The month of March has been designated as Women’s History Month since 1987 when the Women’s History Project lobbied for Congress to pass Pub. L. 100-9, christening March as “Women’s History Month” in place of “Women’s History Week,” which was held during the week of March 8th from 1982 to 1986. Since 1995, Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Barack Obama have issued annual proclamations that continually dedicate the month of March to the legacies of the great ladies of America. And that’s pretty cool, considering everything women have done for this country literally since the American Revolution.
However, in all honesty, I was never the type to place much emphasis on Women’s History Month. I’d always felt it was symbolic, but I never placed myself in a position in which I would outwardly celebrate the history of the American woman. Perhaps it’s because it’s been hard to identify with the women who rallied so passionately for their causes, since the latest women’s movement occurred 50 years ago. But this year, Women’s History Month has a different feel. This year, I’m owning it.
Regardless of your political and societal beliefs, you can’t deny that from March 2016 to March 2017 the entire female population in the United States has experienced history in the making. We are witnessing the greatest cultural emphasis on women and gender issues in years, from Lemonade to #FreeMelania. We saw the Women’s March, the largest peaceful protest in the history of the United States. We had a woman run for the highest office in the land, even though a lot of people are still uncomfortable with it. We are blending feminists and anti-feminists, trying to strike peace between the two, all while rallying for the Third Wave Movement that we will someday all tell our grandkids about with pride.
And with all this attention centered around women’s issues, it’s important to take this time to recognize where we came from. After all, we are living in a crucial era. America is adjusting to a government administration unlike no other. Women, who have always been so vulnerable to the government, are in a position where we have so much to gain and everything to lose. We came from a place where we realized that an attack on one is an attack on all, and we are seeing attacks time and time again. It is time to band together as the majority — and women are in fact the majority, comprising approximately 50.4% of the American population — and tell the world why women deserve to possess power and strength just as much as men do.
So this month, embrace your womanly self! Take this time to get to know yourself as a woman — your strengths, your weaknesses, your beauty, your flaws, literally anything that makes you a kickass female. Discover what issues really matter to you. Learn about feminism and Third Wave feminism. Become an advocate for not only yourself, but also for women in your community and abroad who may not be in situations that promote their rights and equality. Educate others, especially the ignorant ones (you know the type). And, most importantly, own it in whatever way suits you best.
