


This photograph shows women marching for their right to vote in New York City in 1912. Gaining the right to vote was an important milestone for the women’s rights movement in the United States.
In 1975, the United Nations (UN) declared March to be International Women’s History Month. The UN also declared March 8 to be International Women’s Day.
In 1978, a group in Sonoma County, California, started a local Women’s History Week celebration. The group chose the week of March 8 to include International Women’s Day. Some schools began to have their own Women’s History Week programs.
In 1981, the United States Congress declared a national Women’s History Week for the United States. It took place in the first half of March. In 1987, the week was expanded to the whole month of March.
During Women’s History Month, people learn about the important roles women have had in history. People also take time to look at ways to expand women’s rights around the world.