Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month” is celebrated as a joint commemoration by some very notable institutions: Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Their purpose includes “encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.” Women’s History Month originated as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 that became “Women’s History Month,” and thereafter Presidents have issued regular annual proclamations. These proclamations “celebrate the contributions women have mad…