Women's History Month 2012

March has been celebrated as Women’s History Month in the United States since 1987, when Congress expanded the celebration of Women’s History Week, which dates back to 1978, in the school district of Sonoma, California. In 1981 Senator
Orin Hatch (R-Utah) and Representative Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland)
co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming Women’s
History Month. This encouraged several states to develop and distribute
curriculum materials in their public schools, which expanded the teaching of
history to include the role of the countless women in the formation and
progress of America. Before the 1970’s, women’s history was rarely the subject
of serious study. The first International Women’s Day was celebrated on March
8, 1911.

The2012 National Women’s History Month theme is “Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment. The equal opportunity to learn owes much to Title IX of the Education Codes of the Higher Education Act Amendments, legislation passed in1972. The first college in America to admit women was Oberlin College in Ohio. TheNational Women’s History Project has a link with the names of the 2012 honorees on their website: www.nwhp.org

Several colleges and universities in Connecticut have planned special events to
celebrate Women’s History Month. Check their websites for specific dates and
times. Central Connecticut State University: www.ccsu.edu  Western Connecticut State University: www.wcsu.edu University of Connecticut www.lib.uconn.edu

Connecticut’s Women’s Heritage Trial is a series of 13 sites around the state that honor the accomplishments of prominent Connecticut women. The specific locations, their phone numbers, and details about the sites, which include homes, museums, and centers can be found at www.gonewengland.about.com/od/ctsightseeing/a/ctwomenstrail.htm

There are many more websites with information about women’s history, event ideas, etc. Timelines in the progress of women’s struggle for equal rights, famous
firsts by American women, and female leaders in American history can be found at www.infoplease.com/women’s-history-month