ABOUT WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
In the United States, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation and commemorates and encourages the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.
Women’s History Month began in 1978 as a local Women’s History Week celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The organizers selected the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day. In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians—led by the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women’s History Alliance)—successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th, 1980 as National Women’s History Week. It wasn’t until 1995 that proclamations designated the entire month of March as Women’s History Month. Source
In Canada, Women’s History Month is celebrated in October and was proclaimed in 1992 to give Canadians “an opportunity to learn about the important contributions of women and girls to our society – and to the quality of our lives today.” Read more.