Women's History Month: To Be A Woman In Today's Society

Women’s History Month, formerly known as Women’s Week, originated as a week-long celebration until 1987 when the National Women's History Project proposed that the whole month of March be dedicated to honoring women and their achievements throughout history. 

From the passing of the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote, to diversifying workplaces that represent all kinds of women, we have made great progress. To be a woman in today’s society means to be honored. Our paths have been carefully carved by brilliant women who have come before us to provide opportunities that were not available to them. To be a woman in today’s society means to be chosen. Because our lives are so different from one another, we have the privilege of experiencing different parts of the world personified as unique individuals. 

When I look around at all of the women in history, one word comes to mind: resilience. To be a woman in today’s society means to be challenged by the expectations of those who believe they know better. Whether that be what women should wear, how women should look, where women should work, what kind of jobs women should have, the list is never-ending, but neither is the strength that I have witnessed from the women around me. No matter the limits that are set for us, we are constantly determined to break them. Society said we couldn’t excel in science, but Marie Skłodowska-Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel prize in 1903. Society said women are best at home, but we have found a way to exceed in various workplaces by making up roughly 47% of the workforce. Society said we are too fragile for sports, but more than half of the United States’ Olympic medals were won by women. 

To be a woman in today’s society means to be overlooked as less capable; however, the boundary has been exceeded. Our history is deep with a tendency to bring change. As time passes by, women will continue to equalize gender norms, break stereotypes, push limits and make more history. The question you have to ask yourself is whether or not you want to be part of the ever-changing evolution of the female population.