In the 1970s, a group called the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women started a Women’s History Week, and dozens of California schools participated, creating special programs honoring the week.
Over time, the idea of the week spread throughout the country, and grew from a week into the entire month of March. March was designated as Women’s History Month in 1987 to acknowledge that the role of American women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued in the body of American history.
Take a moment to also learn about International Women’s Day, Mar. 8!
Here are some ideas for how you can honor and celebrate the month:
Support women-owned businesses
- Use Intentionalist’s women-owned business directory to #SpendLikeItMatters
- Search the City of Seattle’s online business directory under the Advanced Search area and select WMBE (women- and minority-owned businesses) Businesses Only
- Find info on growing your woman-owned business from the U.S. Small Business Administration
Attend Women’s History Month events
- International Women’s Day: Stories of Redefining Motherhood, March 8
- University of Washington’s 20th Annual Women of Color Celebration, March 15
- Check out Visit Seattle’s list of events
- EverOut’s List of All Women’s History Month events near Seattle
- Find more events at WomensHistoryMonth.gov
Learn about women’s history in our region
- 14 Trailblazing Women Who Transformed Seattle
- Washington State Historical Society’s Women’s History Consortium
- City of Seattle’s Seattle Women’s History timeline
Support women’s nonprofits and organizations
Local organizations include:
- Mary’s Place
- Female Founders Alliance
- Refugee Women’s Alliance
- WA Women’s Foundation
- Women Who Code Seattle
National organizations include:
- Girls Who Code and their partnership with University of Washington
- BuiltByGirls
- National Organization for Women Foundation
- National Women’s Law Center
- SheShouldRun
- UltraViolet Action
Celebrate women throughout history through literature and media
Books & Magazines
- King County Library System’s Women’s History Month reading guide
- Tell Her Story: Books for Women’s History Month 2023
- 20 Best New Women History Books to Read in 2023
- Amazon Books’ Editorial Director Shares Recommended Reading to Celebrate Women’s History Month
- New York Public Library’s Women’s History Month reading guide
- Penguin Random House Women’s History Month Reading Challenge
- Must-Read Kids’ Books for Women’s History Month
- Our Top Picks for New Children’s Books in 2023 for Women’s History Month
- 17 Children’s Books To Read To Your Kids In Honor Of Women’s History Month
- 25 Children’s Picture Books for Women’s History Month
- 25 Biographical Pictures Books for National Women’s History Month
Movies
