Women who advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion is the theme of this year’s national Women’s History Month. The aim is to recognize that for a positive future, “we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.” While there have been serious gains made in reaching gender parity, here are a few points to consider:
● Women in the US still earn less than men even when doing the same job.
● At the current rate, women will not receive equal pay until 2056. It will take even longer for women of color.
● 60% of Americans believe being a man helps you get ahead.
● Women make up 63.5% of workers earning the federal minimum wage.
● According to a Deloitte study, “out-of-pocket health care costs for employed women in the United States are estimated to be $15 billion higher per year than for employed men”.
● Women comprise only 25% of the STEM workforce.
● Women and racial and ethnic minorities are 20% to 30% more likely than white men to experience a medical misdiagnosis.
● In opposite-sex marriages where husbands and wives each contributed half their combined earnings, wives still spent twice as much time on housework than their husbands.
Beyond the theme of the year, this month seeks to amplify women’s voices and highlight their often-overlooked achievements and contributions throughout history. Gerda Lerner, known as the “godmother of women’s history” once said, “In my courses, the teachers told me about a world in which ostensibly one-half the human race is doing everything significant and the other half doesn’t exist…”
One resource that has illuminated the “other half’s” neglected history is the Library of Congress’ extensive online research guide, which contains media, photographs, rare books, music, and government documents that tell the stories of women. Rich stories like those of the African-American women who served in the military during World War 2; the papers of Patsy T. Mink, the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman to serve in Congress; and the political cartoons of Ann Telnaes, who, in 2001, became the second woman ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning.
In case you’re looking for something to do to mark this month, The Library of Congress will also host a Family Day on March 9th to celebrate amazing women in history. “This event for kids and their families will feature creative, engaging activities such as contributing to a communal mural of female trailblazers, transcribing Clara Barton’s personal papers and correspondence, and reimagining the Jefferson Building to showcase the diversity of women’s achievements.”
Did you know that less than 20% of biographies on the English-language Wikipedia are about women? To tackle this issue, on March 27th, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum will host a Wikipedia-Edit-a-Thon. “Attendees will edit and create Wikipedia articles about American women represented in the museum’s digital exhibition, ‘Becoming Visible,’ among others.”
Mary McLeod Bethune, born to enslaved parents, would go on to become Vice President of the NAACP and serve as an advisor to four U.S. presidents on African-American affairs. Her row home on 1318 Vermont Ave NW was the headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women from the 1940s-1960s.
Journalist and travel writer Eliza Scidmore was the first woman on the board of the National Geographic Society and is also credited with the idea of planting Japanese cherry blossoms in our city.
Flora Molton was a blues and gospel musician who influenced the DC jazz scene for decades before her death in 1990. Street performing to earn money, she could often be found on 7th and F and later 11th and F. She also performed at the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. A historical marker recognizing Molton can be found in Penn Quarter.
In 1991 Sharon Pratt became the first woman mayor of Washington DC and the first African-American woman to be elected mayor of a major US city. Pratt was born in DC, attended DC Public Schools then went on to receive her Bachelor’s and Law degree from Howard University. As mayor, Pratt pushed for an increase in black and Hispanic business ownership. You can watch this short PBS video to learn more about her historic mayoral campaign.
