March is Women’s History Month  

Although women have been making significant contributions to society since the beginning of time, it wasn’t until 1980 that these contributions were commemorated formally with the declaration of what has since become Women’s History Month in the United States.  

President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Statement asking Americans to acknowledge the contributions and valuable role of women throughout American history by recognizing March 2-8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. In the years following, Congress passed legislation requesting the President to issue a proclamation in support of Women’s History Week (1981), and President Ronald Reagan fulfilled this request the following year. With each passing year that followed, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987, Congress ultimately passed legislation declaring the month of March as “Women’s History Month,” and this designation has continued forward annually since that time, with all U.S. Presidents since 1995 – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden – issuing annual proclamations announcing the continued designation of March as Women’s History Month.  

Every year, a theme for Women’s History Month is selected by the National Women’s History Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and sharing the transformative contributions of women in history. For 2026, that theme is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”  

SDHC is proud of the remarkable women we are honored to call our authors, scholars, and contributors. Through presentations at the annual Festival of Books and programs provided through our Speakers Bureau program, we have been able to provide a connection between the people of our state and the transformative, scholarly work of women in relation to such topics as sustainable agriculture, developing stronger communities, and building a stronger future. 

SDHC looks forward to the continuation of diverse and inclusive programs that celebrate the contributions and achievements of women in our society and welcomes the public to join us on that journey. For more information about Women’s History Month, visit the National Women’s History Museum’s website at https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month