“Women’s history is a women’s right—an essential, indispensable heritage from, which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision.” — Gerda Lerner
The origins of Women’s History Month date back to 1978 in Santa Rosa, California, when the Education Task Force of Sonoma Country Commission on the Status of Women planned a “Women’s History Week” celebration during the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day. Led by Molly Murphy McGregor, a local teacher in Santa Rosa, the weeklong celebration highlighted women’s contributions to American history, culture, and society through presentations at dozens of schools throughout Sonoma County, California. Additionally, hundreds of students participated in an essay contest honoring local women, and the organization hosted a parade in downtown Santa Rosa.
Although the 1978 event was not intended to become an annual celebration, the following year, communities across the country organized their own women’s history celebrations. In July of the same year, historian Gerda Lerner chaired a 15-day conference on women’s history at Sarah Lawrence College, which was co-sponsored by the Women’s Action Alliance and the Smithsonian Institution. After the conference, historians and women’s activist groups began working together to lobby for a National Women’s History Week.
Their efforts proved successful when, in February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 2–8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week.
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