How to celebrate Women’s History Month

The Women’s Center holds many events in March dedicated to Women’s History Month. Students from all backgrounds are welcomed at each of the events. 

Women’s Center Director Liz Steinborn-Gourley said Women’s History Month is about celebrating women.

“I think a call to recognize that women have historically been written out of history,” she said. “Not that they weren’t a part of it actively but that it was strategic to uplift men’s voices and to quiet women’s voices.” 

The historical background of Women’s History Month started back in the 1970s. 

“It was through the Civil Rights Movement and into the 1970s, as the second wave of feminism was moving to the United States, there was an international day of the women. There was a huge women’s conference that happened in Mexico, I believe, where people from all over the world came together to talk about the well-being of women internationally. And that sparked International Women’s Day which is March 8. Then Women’s History Month to surround it in March,” shared Steinborn-Gourley.

Women’s History Month recognizes the historical contributions women made to society. According to Idman Ibrahim, a senior student in Social Studies and Women and Gender Studies, celebrating the month means acknowledging women’s work.

“To me, Women’s History Month is encouraging and inspiring. To see all the work in the past and the things that they have done, and I think seeing how far women’s work has come from the past,” said Ibrahim. 

Steinborn-Gourley described several events that take place throughout Women’s History Month. The first is Zine Crafternoons, which is a piece of literature on countercultures.

“We are working on a zine and we’re still accepting submissions. Our zine’s theme for Women’s History Month is a body because we can see it in any state in any country around the world. We can see issues that are affecting the bodies of women, whether it’s earthquakes, legislation or state-sanctioned violence,” said Steinborn-Gourley.

The networking event for women in STEM will help female students with their career paths. The event is not gender exclusive and it welcomes everyone. However, the event will feature the voices of women.

“We also have women in STEM networking events. And so we have women in the science, tech engineering and math learning community that is new this year, but it’s not new that the Women’s Center in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology have partnered to host these opportunities to help women see themselves in their career of choice to feel like there’s a path for them, to see that it’s critically important to the communities that we have women in STEM,” said Steinborn-Gourley.

Later during the month, other events will be hosted with Women’s Center participation.

“And then on March 30th, there’ll be our Bravehearts discussion will be on reproductive justice. Also, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion division is 50-plus years old. So we’re having a big event on March 15 to celebrate the anniversary of DEI,” said Steinborn-Gourley.

Attending the events will help students learn more about women’s contribution to society and inspire them to work in the field that they choose. Steinborn-Gourley said she believes women’s history should not be confined to a month.

“Women’s History is every day for women. Anyone who has an ancestor who’s a woman, our history is a part of us. It’s intertwined in us. To honor that, to hold space for that at some point in your month, of what that means to honor the women who have gone before us. We’ve all descended from incredible women, and we should acknowledge that,” said Steinborn-Gourley. 

“Keep celebrating the Women’s History Month inspires many girls and young women to look at them and say ‘I can relate to that’ and ‘I can do what she did and she’s my superhero’,” added Ibrahim. 

To learn more about Women’s History Month and the event, email wcenter@mnsu.edu.

Header photo: The Women’s Center is helping host several events throughout Women’s History Month including crafternoons working on a zine, a STEM networking event and a BraveHeart’s discussion on reproductive rights. (Dylan Engel/The Reporter)

Write to Amalia Sharaf at amal.sharafkhodjaeva@mnsu.edu