March is Women’s History Month
Every year, by order of a presidential proclamation, the month of March is set aside to honor the contributions of women throughout American history.
There are numerous events going on around Richmond that celebrate women and lots of ways to celebrate and learn about women through history on your own.
You can always head over to the Virginia Women’s Monument: in Capitol Square which depicts 12 women from around the Commonwealth as bronze statues.
Each woman is from a different area of Virginia, and made a unique contribution to history. An artist, teacher, physician and seamstress are only a few of the professions represented by these outstanding women.
While paying homage to these women and their work, the monument serves as a reminder that one can make change from anywhere, by using individual gifts.
The month of March was selected due to International women’s day being March 8th. What started out in 1978 as “Women’s History Week” in Santa Rosa, CA has grown exponentially as communities across the country initiated their own celebrations.
Two years later, in 1980, the National Women’s History Project (now known as the National Women’s History Alliance), successfully lobbied for national recognition, and that February, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8th “National Women’s History Week.”
Activities for Women’s History Month
- Read stories of empowering women; Anything from fairy tales to biographies! Read the stories of smart, fierce, strong and independent women to your children and teach them that a person’s gender should not define them! If you need a few ideas for kids picture books you can find some at Here Wee Read or in this Huff Post article.
- Buy some Girl Scout Cookies! (If you do not have a local connection consider buying cookies from troop 6000 out of New York. You can find a nearby troop using: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/how-to-buy-cookies.html
- Donate any unwanted or requested items to your local women’s shelters. Search for your local RVA shelters here.
- Watch a documentary or movie about empowering women!
– By Deni Schiren
Deni Schiren is a Midlothian, VA based mom to two young girls. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom she lived in central Florida and graduated from Daytona Beach College with a degree in Sign Language Interpretation. She worked in Florida’s public school system for a few years before relocating to the Richmond Area with her family. She is now a homeschool mom and runs the ‘Plan-Ahead Parent’ Facebook group and documents her efforts visually on Instagram at the.plan.ahead.parent.
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