Former First Lady, Michelle Obama once said, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”

It is not hard to assume that most people with a female figure in their life would agree with this. From our own family members, to friends, coworkers, figures in the community, and women in history, there is a never ending list of incredible and powerful women that surround each and every one of us. As March comes to an end, it is important to celebrate and look back on Women’s History Month.

National Women’s History Month can trace its roots all the way back to March 8, 1857. According to the United States Census Bureau, in various New York City factories, the female workers staged a protest for the poor working conditions they were subjected to. Decades later, The first Women’s day celebration in the United States was also in New York City in 1909. It took nearly eight more decades and lobbying from women’s groups and historians for Congress to establish National Women’s History Week in 1981. Six years later, they expanded that week into the month long celebration of Women’s History Month.

While it is important to celebrate how far women have come as a whole, it is equally important to remember that there are still things that need fixing. Despite the activism and progress that has been made since the 1980s, women are still at a disadvantage in society. As a group, women are faced with prejudices including inadequate healthcare, domestic and sexual violence, pay gaps, sexism and more in their everyday lives.

According to UN Women, globally, it is estimated that one in three women have been subjected to physical and/ or sexual violence at least once in their life. That is about 736 million women that have been assaulted in one form or another. Most of the violence that women face comes straight from inside their own homes, with most violence against women being at the hands of former or current partners.

The gender pay gap is another disadvantage that women face today. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women are currently paid an average of about 83% as much as their male counterparts. That 83% amounts to roughly $10,000 less per year for women. While this number is on the rise, there is still a significant difference in pay between women and men in the United States.

Overall, women are still at a disadvantage to men in society, but because of the strength that they have shown in the face of this, women are slowly making headway against this injustice. Ways to recognize Women’s History Month have a lot to do with getting and staying educated on the topic.

From watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, reading books and watching TED Talks, staying informed on the topic of women’s rights is an incredible way to empathize with the women in your life. Another great way is by supporting woman owned businesses in the community.

Luckily, there is an abundance of female owned businesses in Ponca City, so finding some to support is quite easy. On a more personal level, you could give a thank you to the women that have made an impact on your own life.

Happy Women’s History Month to everyone who celebrates it, and take a moment to recognize and commemorate on how far women have come in society.

Sources:

U.S Department of Labor. (2023, March 14). Equal pay Day 2023: Department of Labor Initiatives seek to close gender, racial wage gap, increase equity in Federal Programs. DOL. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/ releases/osec/osec20230314 UN Women. (2022, February). Facts and figures: Ending violence against women. UN Women – Headquarters. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.unwomen.org/ en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-andfigures US Census Bureau. (2022, March 1). Women’s History Month: March 2022. Census.gov. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2022/ womens-history-month.html#:~:text=National%20Women’s% 20History%20Month%20traces,also%20in%20New%20 York%20City.