March is Women’s History Month, and as a woman owned and operated firm, it’s a cause the North team is dedicated to raising awareness for. As this National Geographic article tells readers, the recording of history is dominated by men. Women and their contributions are not publicized nearly as much as men and their contributions, so this month, we are using our platform to elevate these voices and stories.
History
According to the National Women’s History Museum, Women’s History Month began in 1978 in Santa Rosa, California as “Women’s History Week.” After two years of the week-long commemoration, women sought recognition on the national level. As a result, President Jimmy Carter declared the Week of March 8th National Women’s History Week. In 1987, Women’s History Week was elevated to a celebration throughout the entire month of March.
This year, the theme for Women’s History Month is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” It is a tribute to the ways women have done this throughout history and more recently, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the things we know and utilize today would not be possible without women. Among the less well-known contributions by women throughout history are:
- In the 1950s, Rosalind Franklin discovered the structure of DNA.
- Dorthea Dix led prison and asylum reform in the 1800s.
- Mamie Till-Bradley, mother of Emmett Till, was a pioneer in the civil rights movement following her son’s death.
- Jane Cooke Wright was among the cancer researchers who discovered chemotherapy.
- Grace Hopper helped to invent English programming languages for computers.
- Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton lead the women’s suffrage movement, resulting in the 19th Amendment ensuring women’s right to vote.
Read about more women in history here and here.
Present Day Wins
In more recent years, women have created societal change and occupied positions of power at a higher rate than ever before. We are no longer standing for injustices, instead using our voices to create changes that are long overdue.
- Though it has been a year since she passed, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s influence lives on with her position on abortion rights being drawn upon more than ever before as women in the United States face increased threats to their right to choose without government interference. RBG was a pioneer for gender equality and her decision set crucial legal precedents.
- In late February, President Biden announced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his Supreme Court nominee to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer
- The United States Women’s National Soccer Team settled their extensive lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for $24 million. The team was suing for equal pay, and the decision has been a long time coming. The USSF stated that it will pay the men’s and women’s teams equally in all future friendlies and tournaments, and according to ESPNW, will also use $2 million to support USWNT players following their soccer careers and charitable efforts related to women’s and girl’s soccer.
- Along with her media company, Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon is continuing her mission to highlight women in movies, television, and books. The Morning Show, which is one of Hello Sunshine’s most popular series, was recently renewed for a third season. The show tackles the inequalities women struggle with in the workplace and shows just how common these struggles are.
- According to Axios, many women have recently assumed top leadership and business roles at various major news outlets, including ABC News, CBS News, The Associated Press, BBC, the New York Times, and more.
Work to be Done
- Despite the progress RBG made in allowing women the right to choose, we have taken several steps backward in the last year. Multiple states have imposed strict abortion bans, Florida being the latest. In the second to last week of legislative session, the state passed a bill banning abortions after 15 weeks. Mississippi is attempting to pass a similar ban, and the Supreme Court is set to make a decision on whether or not to uphold it this spring. This means that Roe v. Wade could be overturned.
- The pandemic has only increased the gaps between men and women, with more women than ever leaving the workforce.
- We have seen a massive uptick in violence against women worldwide in the last year, from Gabby Petito in the United States to Sabina Nessa in England to Ashling Murphy in Ireland – and these are just the cases that made headliness. There are hundreds of other instances where women have disappeared or been killed at the hands of their partners or at random, and the vast majority of cases are not publicized the way these were.It’s time that we shine a light on all instances of violence against women.
- There also appears to have been an increase in the number of sexual assault cases reported on college campuses in the last year, however; we are seeing more attention being brought to these cases as a result of campus protests and greater media coverage.
We have made immense progress in gender equality, but we still have a long way to go. This month, take a moment to examine what you can do to promote change and the advancement of all women in your workplace and community.
Below, we have listed a few of our favorite organizations that work to empower and support women. These organizations work year round to make positive impacts in gender equality, and we are proud to be working alongside them.
Women-led organizations North loves and partners with:
