Latest news with #Women'sHistoryWeek
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump honors Women's History Month, touts female Cabinet members
March 26 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon honored Women's History Month in March, two months after he signed an executive order recognizing only two sexes: male and female. The event in the East Room included female members of his Cabinet, as well as other women in the federal government and in U.S. Congress. Women's History Week was first proclaimed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 and became Women's History Month in a law passed by Congress in 1987 to honor their contributions in American society. "It's great to have you here to celebrate Women's History Month," he said at the White House. "That's a big deal. And today we honor the legacy of incredible women like Betsy Ross, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, and Amelia Earhart, all legends. "And their extraordinary courage and patriotism and devotion propelled our nation to glory and to greatness. They are great women, many great women, and thank you for the vote." He noted two top women in the Executive Office: Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, whom he described as "the most powerful woman in the world," and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is "knocking them dead" at 27 years old. "I'm also thrilled to say that we have more women in our Cabinet than any Republican president in the history of our country," Trump said. Five of the 22 confirmed Cabinet members are women: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Labor Secretary Lori Michelle Chavez-DeRemer and Education Secretary Linda McMahon (Education). U.S. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, hasn't been confirmed yet as United Nations ambassador. Female Republican members of Congress present were Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. On March 6, he wrote in a proclamation: "I am especially proud to acknowledge and celebrate the brilliant and talented female trailblazers in my Administration. They are leaders in business, experts in foreign and domestic policy, authorities in national security, great legal minds, as well as dedicated public servants who put the American people first. Together, we are working to honor the women in our history." He wrote about his executive order: "No longer will our Government promote radical ideologies that replace women with men in spaces and opportunities designed for women, or devastate families by indoctrinating our sons and daughters to begin a war with their own bodies. Instead, my Administration will safeguard the great American values of family, truth, well-being, and freedom." He said his executive order directed the Department of Education and other executive departments and agencies "to launch Title IX action against federally funded schools and States who refuse to uphold fair competition and dignity for female athletes." The Trump administration normally doesn't single out achievements by women or by race. For example, the Pentagon no longer mentions various commemorative months for Black and Hispanic people and women on its website. Also contributions by women and minority groups have been deleted that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
National Geographic
05-03-2025
- Politics
- National Geographic
Why March is Women's History Month in the U.S.
As a graduate of one of the newly founded women's studies programs at California's Sonoma State University in the 1970s, educator Molly Murphy MacGregor asked the same question as Lerner and others. Administrators at the high school where she taught had tried to pressure her to cancel a class on women's history, arguing that there was simply not enough material to fill six weeks of instruction. Textbooks that did cover basic women's history buried it—for example, one text said Congress gave women the right to vote in 1920 without mentioning the work of pioneering suffragists who fought for that civil right. Having created the first Women's History Week, the National Women's History Alliance lobbied Congress to recognize March as Women's History Month. Founders (right to left): Molly Murphy MacGregor, Paula Hammett, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, and Bette Morgan. Courtesy of the National Women's History Alliance Where were the women? she wondered. 'The history of women in the United States seemed to be written in invisible ink,' MacGregor recalled in a 2020 PBS documentary. The first Women's History Week MacGregor was spurred to action. In the late 1970s, she put together a slideshow on the history of American women in areas like politics, environmental activism, and the abolitionist movement and was amazed at the response. Students came away from the presentations with newfound pride and an interest in the stories of women like Harriet Tubman and Rachel Carson. But when MacGregor learned that students rarely checked out or were assigned the tiny assortment of women's history books available in local elementary schools, she took action by joining the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women. The commission had been created in 1975 and tasked with eliminating gender discrimination and prejudice. One of its goals was to help Sonoma County schools comply with Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments—a landmark law that protects people from discrimination based on sex in any educational program that receives funding from the federal government.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nadine Nakamura, first Asian American woman House speaker, honored
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii State House of Representatives marked Women's History Month today by unveiling a portrait of House Speaker Nadine Nakamura, honoring her groundbreaking role in state politics. Former Disney star under fire for touching honu Nakamura, the first woman to hold the position of House Speaker and the first Asian American woman to do so in the United States, now has her photo displayed in the House chamber.'I think women have to stay strong, we have to be focused, we have to look at the opportunities to move our society forward and do great things for our nation, especially at this time, where there's so much uncertainty,' Nakamura said during the unveiling. 10 facts about Kelly Slater's $16.5M Hawaiʻi North Shore home for sale March is recognized as Women's History Month, a tradition that began in 1981 when Congress passed legislation designating the week starting March 7 as 'Women's History Week.' Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news In 1987, the week expanded to a full month to honor and celebrate the contributions and achievements of women across the country. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The five worst states for women are in the South, study says. See where Tennessee ranks
Women's History Month is a time to reflect on women's immense contributions to history and today's society. It's also a time to recognize that women's equality is still an ideal that has yet to be reached. In the spirit of Women's History Month, WalletHub identified the best and worst states for women to live in, specifically studying two categories: "Women's economic & social well-being' and 'women's health care & safety' WalletHub studied all 50 states, plus Washington D.C. The study used 25 metrics to measure how well women can thrive across the U.S. In the economic and well-being category, WalletHub looked at female employees' median earnings, female rates of poverty, the share of women-owned businesses, high school graduation rates and more. In the women's healthcare and safety category, experts looked at abortion access, the quality of women's hospitals, obesity and suicide rates, as well as the female homicide rate. Across all the metrics, each state was ranked out of 100 total points. Source: WalletHub The Volunteer State is in the bottom half of the best states for women to live in the U.S., according to WalletHub. Out of the 100 offered points, Tennessee has a score of 51.42 and ranked at No. 36 overall. In the economic and social well-being category, Tennessee is listed at No. 26, landing between Nebraska and New Mexico. Tennessee ranked at No. 45 in terms of health care and safety. Tennessee has one of the most restrictive abortion policies; it is nearly completely outlawed with very few exceptions. The state adopted its abortion policy in August 2022, following Roe. V. Wade being overturned in June 2022. Though in the bottom half of U.S. states, Tennessee ranked well in the best states for women survey compared to many other Southern states. Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina were the only states to rank above Tennessee at No. 22, No. 33 and No. 32 respectively. Alabama at No. 46, Georgia at No. 43 and South Carolina came in at No. 39. Additionally, the five worst states for women are all located in the South. No. 1: Massachusetts No. 2: Minnesota No. 3: District of Colombia No. 4: New York No. 5: Maryland No. 47: Texas No. 48: Lousiana No. 49: Arkansas No. 50: Oklahoma No. 51: Mississippi Women's History Month started as a California "Women's History Week' in 1978 to be celebrated during the week of March 8 to correspond with Intranational Women's Day, according to the National Women's History Museum. Two years later in 1980, women's groups, historians and the National Women's History Project (now called the National Women's History Alliance) successfully lobbied for national recognition of Women's History Week. President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring National Women's History Week to be the week of March 8, 1980, according to the National Women's History Museum. It wasn't until 1987 that Congress designated March as Women's History Month. Each year, the President proclaims March as Women's History Month. Each year, the National Women's History Alliance designates a theme for Women's History Month. In 2025, the theme is "Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations." The theme honors women who are educators, mentors and leaders, according to the NWHA. Women's History Month is often marked with purple, white and green, the official colors of International Women's Day. Purple represents justice, dignity and loyalty to the cause, green is the color of hope and white is the color of purity. The colors originated from the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in 1908, according to the Intranational Women's Day campaign site. International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8. Though International Women's Day is marked worldwide, it is not a national holiday in the U.S. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: For Women's History Month, where TN ranks in best states for women list
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
When did Women's History Month begin? Its history, explained
Women's History Month is here. For nearly 40 years, March has been designated as a month to celebrate and honor the achievements of women throughout U.S. history, like Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman and more. From educating Americans on the achievements and accomplishments of women throughout history to inspiring future generations, there's many ways to honor and commemorate the mark women have made throughout history. Here's what to know about how a local celebration in California turned into a national Women's History Week under Jimmy Carter's administration, and under Ronald Reagan's administration, became a month-long observance — plus tips on how to celebrate. Women's History Month first began a local, weeklong celebration in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978, according to the National Women's History Museum. The organizers picked the week to correspond with International Women's Day, which is celebrated on March 8. The movement grew across the country as other groups and communities began holding their own celebrations in 1979, and in 1980, women's groups and historians began lobbying for national recognition, according to the National Women's History Museum. In February 1980, then President Jimmy Carter issued a statement asking for Americans to recognize women's heritage in the U.S. during National Women's History Week from March 2 to 8. "I urge libraries, schools, and community organizations to focus their observances on the leaders who struggled for equality—Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, and Alice Paul," Carter said. He continued: "Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people." In 1981, Congress passed a resolution designating the week beginning March 7, 1982, as Women's History Week. Then President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation in February 1982, emphasizing women's achievements throughout U.S. history. "Recognizing that the many contributions of American women have at times been overlooked in the annals of American history, I encourage all citizens to observe this important week by participating in appropriate ceremonies and activities planned by individuals, governmental agencies, and private institutions and associations throughout the country," Reagan said. Over the next five years, Congress continued to pass resolutions requesting for the president to issue proclamations of Women's History Week, according to the Library of Congress. In 1987, Congress passed a joint resolution designating the month of March as Women's History Month, after the National Women's History Project petitioned, according to the Library of Congress. Reagan then proclaimed March 1987 as Women's History Month, according to his presidential proclamation. "I call upon all Americans to mark this month with appropriate observances to honor the achievements of American women," Reagan said. From 1988 to 1994, Congress passed resolutions requesting for the president to proclaim March of each year as Women's History Month, according to the Library of Congress. And since 1995, Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden have issued proclamations designating each March as Women's History Month, according to the Library of Congress. President Trump signed executive orders in January 2025 to curtail diversity, equity and inclusion programs, leading a number of federal agencies to ban or pause all activities and events related to cultural awareness months like Women's History Month, Black History Month and LGBTQ Pride Month, plus other 'special observances,' per memos and emails obtained by NBC News. It is unclear if Trump will designate March 2025 as Women's History Month. However, groups and alliances are still going full speed ahead with celebrating women's history in the U.S. According to the National Women's History Alliance, the 2025 theme for Women's History Month is "Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations." "This theme celebrates the collective strength and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership," the alliance said. "Through their efforts, they have served as an inspiration for all generations — both past and present." The alliance aims to honor the achievements and contributions of key women educators, mentors and leaders, inspire all generations and promote the visibility of diverse women in 2025. The alliance suggests educators consider biography and research projects for their students, as well as inclusive lessons, historical timelines and artistic expressions. Parents can consider providing reading materials that highlight the achievements of women, as well as holding debates and plays for children to learn and reenact important moments about women's history, according to the alliance. For all ages, the alliance suggests hosting book clubs, field trips, learning family history and more as ways to promote women's history this March. Check out picks for Women's History Month quotes, books, food brands, TV shows, movies and more to feel even more empowered over the next 31 days. This article was originally published on
