Makenzie Aquino

Women’s History Month is an ongoing tradition for feminism, fighting for equality, and recognizing historically influential women.

Every March, Women’s History Month is celebrated in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia. Then, on March 8, Women’s History Day is celebrated. The origins can be traced back to California, where Molly Murphy McGregor planned a Women’s History Week to go with International Women’s Day. This month marks a large turning point for women’s rights, but just because of how far we have come does not mean we should ignore our future. 

Women’s history started alongside the history of the human race, so why does it feel like women got the short end of the stick? Well, let’s go back in time, twelve thousand years ago.

According to a New Scientist article, “The origins of sexism: How men came to rule 12,000 years ago,” 12,000 years ago is around the time when people began settling down due to the rise of farming. When this shift began, men became the primary providers for families because their bodies were better fit for manual labor. With this shift, a small seed was planted, one that would change the course of women’s history altogether.

Did you know that the team that sent Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the moon was actually led by a woman named Margaret Hamilton? You probably didn’t because right now, in the average U.S. history class, only about 20% of women’s history gets taught, and of the 20%, the main figures talked about are white women. 

Some people believe that just because the first two waves of feminism are over, and we have around the same rights as men, our movement is over. Not only is our movement over, but modern-day feminists are viewed as “woke” and oversensitive. But what does it even mean to be a feminist? A feminist is defined as “an advocate of women’s rights based on the equality of the sexes.” How did this definition get so skewed to mean “women whining about not being noticed?” 

Villainizing Women

The rise of pop culture and second-wave feminism are both movements that went hand in hand. As women in the media began to speak up for themselves and make bigger statements, pop culture became heavily influential. Women’s music movements like Riot Grrl, women’s R&B/rap, and statement music videos ignited a widespread spark for women across the U.S., while at the same time causing mass controversy. 

Men, especially in the entertainment industry, lost power. Movies began to become ever more centered around male friendship, male belonging, and only using women as something to obtain. Rap music about “owning” and harassing women was rising on the charts. 

Women who were making a change with their statements began to be villainized by mainstream media, and girls were turning against each other. A new norm was becoming apparent: to succeed as a woman, you need to be accepted by a man. 

It’s not all bad, though. Women continue to fight, and pop culture is constantly changing. But male validation, unfortunately, still rules some of us. The term “feminism” is used as an insult, and it feels like the U.S. is divided as ever right now. 

We, as a society, are in bubbles and echo chambers. We are stuck hearing only what we want, and repeats of our beliefs back to us. If in your community women are not oppressed, then you have no reason to believe women’s struggle happens at all. 

The truth is, women have a long way to go to prove we are equal. We still face unequal pay, sexual violence, laws restricting freedom of our bodies, and so many more issues, not to mention that women of color are some of the biggest targets for discrimination. 

Women’s Future

There is no way to completely end oppression and injustice, but we can make a start. I believe the best way to pave a path to an equal future starts with education. As a country, we need to start teaching more women’s history and introduce specific classes. Supporting organizations like Women’s History in High School can bring students the education they need on the importance of every woman

Educate your daughters about how important they are, and educate your sons to respect every girl and never put others down. Support every woman, and remember, girls, you are not defined by men. We celebrate women’s history for a reason. Take this month to look at how far women have come and let it inspire you to keep moving forward.