Celebrating Women’s Impact: Past, Present, and Future

Did you know that Women’s History Month wasn’t always a month-long celebration? The first Women’s History Day was observed in 1909 in New York City. In 1981, it expanded to a week, thanks to the advocacy of women’s groups and historians who wanted to ensure women’s contributions weren’t erased from history. The movement grew, and by 1987, Congress officially designated March as Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the past, celebrate progress, and recognize the work that still needs to be done.

History isn’t just something we look back on. It’s something we shape every day. The women who came before us fought for rights many of us now take for granted, but the work is far from over. Pay gaps, discrimination, and barriers to healthcare access still threaten women’s freedom, and these struggles disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Celebrating history isn’t enough. We need to build a future where all women thrive.

d from a narrow perspective, overlooking the countless Black women, Indigenous women, women of color, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities who have shaped our world. The fight for gender equality has never been separate from the struggles for racial justice, disability rights, and LGBTQ+ liberation. These women have faced unique challenges while pushing for progress, often fighting on multiple fronts at once. Their contributions may not always be widely known, but their impact is undeniable. Below are some lesser-known gender rights activists who helped shape women’s rights as we know them:

• Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were two transgender women of color who led the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and played pivotal roles in the Stonewall uprising.

• Zitkala-Ša was a Yankton Dakota writer and activist who fought for both women’s suffrage and Indigenous rights in the early 1900s.

• Judy Heumann was a disability rights activist who played a crucial role in passing the Americans with Disabilities Act, ensuring legal protections for millions.

• Ida B. Wells was a Black journalist and activist who risked her life to expose the horrors of lynching, fought against racism in the suffrage movement, and co-founded the Alpha Suffrage Club to help Black women gain the right to vote.

• Patsy Takemoto Mink was the first Japanese American and the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was one of the principal sponsors and authors of Title IX, the legislation that prohibits gender discrimination in education.

These women and many others remind us that progress has never followed a single path. It has been shaped by diverse voices, each fighting for change in their own way. Their efforts laid the groundwork for the rights many benefit from today, but the fight for equality is far from over.

Despite the strides made toward gender equity, significant challenges remain. Pay gaps, workplace discrimination, gender-based violence, and disparities in healthcare access continue to create barriers. These challenges are often more severe for marginalized women, who face overlapping forms of discrimination that create additional barriers to financial stability, safety, and access to quality healthcare.

The numbers tell the story of these disparities:

• Pay inequity: As of 2024, white women earn about 80 cents for every dollar a white man makes, while Black women earn around 66 cents, and both Native American and Latina women earn 58 cents.

• Workplace discrimination: Transgender women face significantly higher rates of employment discrimination and financial insecurity.

• Gender-based violence: More than 1 in 3 women in the U.S. experience gender-based violence by an intimate partner, with higher rates among Indigenous and transgender women.

• Healthcare access: Maternal healthcare and reproductive services remain unequal, with Black women experiencing a maternal mortality rate three times higher than that of white women.

These issues are deeply connected and addressing them requires more than just awareness; it demands proactive solutions.

Understanding these challenges is important, but real change happens through commitment. While inequalities persist, there are tangible ways to support women and help create meaningful progress. Making intentional choices to uplift, advocate for, and invest in gender equity can have a lasting impact.

Here are some ways to take action:

• Support women-owned businesses by shopping from and promoting their work, making sure to include those led by marginalized groups.

• Advocate for policies that protect healthcare access, close the pay gap, and address discrimination in the workplace.

• Donate to organizations that support women, such as those providing resources for survivors of gender-based violence or increasing access to healthcare.
• Call out discrimination and bias when you see it, whether in conversations, media, or policies.
  
  

Creating a more just and equitable future requires continuous effort, not just during Women’s History Month, but every day. By taking action in both big and small ways, we help ensure that progress includes all women, not just a select few.