Women’s History Month was first celebrated during the Reagan administration in 1987, seven years after President Jimmy Carter first created Women’s History Week. Carter thought it was important to recognize the women whose accomplishments in history were often overshadowed and overlooked by the acts of men. 

The women of the United States helped build the country just as much as the men did, even though they weren’t always allowed to fight, vote, or have higher standings in society. We have all been taught the stories of pioneers like Susan B. Anthony or Rosa Parks, but there are countless others whose names and life’s works were never in the history books we read in schools. 

Although we can’t go back and discover all the women who were changemakers as much as their male counterparts, we can look at the women’s history we are living through now. Day by day, we are creating new stories and breaking new barriers for generations to come to look back at. The importance of Women’s History Month is not only recognizing the efforts made in the past, but taking action to keep trailblazing for all the women of the future. 

Now more than ever, gender equality in our society is still a major problem. Women’s History Month is a great way to raise awareness of the injustices that women face every single day. Although we celebrate how far we have come, there is still so much more to be done so that women have the same opportunities in simple things like education, equal pay, and sports, to name a few. By recognizing the strong efforts made by the women of our history, we can be inspired to work towards a better future for all women everywhere. 

I now like to spend my Women’s History Month with the phenomenal women I have all around me. I take time to recognize that not only am I immensely grateful for the friends, family, and peers I have around me who are strong, supportive women, but also about what women of the past gave to this country for me to live the life I do today. In a few years, I can exercise my right to vote. I can go to college, have a career on my own terms, and lead a life that I’m proud of. As a nation we have a long way to go when it comes to gender equality, but I am forever indebted to the extraordinary women all over the world who fought for their rights so I could have mine. •