When is Women’s History Month? Plus 7 ways to honor it
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
If you’re wondering when Women’s History Month is, we’ve got you. Explore what it is, why it matters, and 6 ways you can honor women’s achievements in history.
Every March in the U.S., Women’s History Month is celebrated to recognize women’s contributions to history, culture, achievements in science, and influence in social change. Historical context that is often left out of schools, media, and public records.
For many years, women’s achievements were treated as side notes rather than central to history. Textbooks and museums focused mostly on men, even when women were leading movements and supporting communities. Women’s History Month was created to help correct these gaps and ensure that women’s impact is easier to see and recognize.
Let’s take a closer look at the importance of Women’s History Month, some of the amazing women who have changed history, plus a few mindful ways that you can celebrate and honor the achievements of women.
When is Women’s History Month in the U.S.?
March was chosen as the month for Women’s History Month because it includes International Women’s Day on March 8. This day is recognized worldwide and focuses on women’s rights and work. Over time, people began using the entire month to focus more fully on women’s history, since there is so much to appreciate.
Each year, Women’s History Month has a theme. The theme is chosen by the National Women’s History Alliance. It helps guide lessons and events. Many schools and organizations use it to decide which stories or topics to focus on during the month. For 2026, the theme is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”
Why do we celebrate Women’s History Month?
Women’s History Month exists because women’s work was often undervalued or left out of history. Many school lessons traditionally focused mostly on men, even when women helped shape major change. While not all history lessons excluded women, their contributions were sometimes undervalued or tied to a powerful man. For this reason, women’s history is often incomplete.
When educators and historians recognized these gaps in the history taught in schools, they pushed for change. And expanding the observance into a full month creates even more time to teach women’s stories.
Spotlighting women and their historical contributions for an entire month makes it easier to recognize issues that still exist today, such as gaps in leadership, income inequality, and differences in healthcare quality.
Related read: National Women’s Health Week: how (and why) to get involved
How to honor Women’s History Month: 7 meaningful ways to celebrate
The best way to honor Women’s History Month is to spend some time being open to learning and exploring the contributions women have made throughout history. This might mean exploring new books, podcasts, events, or shows and movies about women. Here are a few meaningful ways you can celebrate.
1. Learn women’s history (in context)
Women’s history is often taught through a few well-known names or major achievements, but this can make women’s impact seem limited. Instead of showing how deeply women shaped daily life and long-term change, it keeps our perspectives small.
However, taking time to explore and learn helps you understand how women influenced movements, workplaces, and communities.
Fast fact: You might know about Rosa Parks, but Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat nine months earlier — and her case became part of the legal challenge that ended bus segregation. The movement succeeded not because of one moment, but because many people acted, organized, and persisted.
2. Support women-led work in tangible ways
While learning about women’s history is a great way to celebrate and engage with this month, your activism can continue year-round by supporting women. This might include choosing women-owned businesses, donating to organizations that support women’s health or safety, or sharing women’s work with others.
At work or in community spaces, it may also mean supporting women for leadership roles or recognizing their contributions in meetings.
Fast fact: Until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed in 1974, many women in the U.S. couldn’t get a credit card or business loan without a male co-signer. That barrier shaped who could start businesses, build wealth, and lead organizations. Supporting women-owned work today helps counter a system that limited women’s economic independence for generations.
Related read: Key Insights from “Women, Whole Health and the Workplace"
3. Pay attention to whose voices are centered
Women’s ideas and expertise are often undervalued, especially in work or school settings. This can show up in who is treated as an expert and whose ideas are taken seriously. Today, small actions like citing women’s research, suggesting women speakers, and crediting ideas correctly can help shift how expertise is valued.
Fast fact: Katherine Johnson’s calculations were essential to early U.S. space missions, but for years her work went uncredited while white male colleagues were treated as the public experts. Her story shows how brilliance can be present and still overlooked, depending on whose voice is recognized.
4. Recognize labor that has historically gone unpaid or unnoticed
Oftentimes, the work women do to support families and communities goes unrecognized. This includes caregiving, family management, emotional labor, organizing, and coordination work that often happens behind the scenes.
Carrying this responsibility without support can lead to long-term exhaustion and emotional strain for women, and the first step to solving the problem is recognizing that there is one.
Fast fact: For generations, women—especially women of color—performed the unpaid labor that sustained social movements, from feeding organizers to coordinating childcare and logistics. Civil rights leader Ella Baker argued that this behind-the-scenes work was as necessary as speeches or protests, even though it was rarely acknowledged as leadership.
5. Share stories responsibly, especially online
Sharing women’s achievements can be meaningful, but simplified or inspirational-only posts often leave out important details. Without context, stories can lose accuracy and depth, so if you’re posting or sharing, be sure to fact-check and provide proper context.
It’s also important to note that not all women’s history stories are neat and tidy; many of them involve social shunning, emotional struggle, or physical pain.
Fast fact: Rachel Carson’s writing exposed the dangers of harmful pesticides, even as she faced public attacks meant to discredit her research. Sharing her story shows that progress often came with resistance and risk.
6. Acknowledge the mental and emotional impact of women’s history
Women’s history is not just about achievements. It also includes discussion on stress, pressure, grief, and the expectation to keep going without support. For many women, especially those facing added discrimination or caregiving demands, anxiety has been a common response to these long-standing pressures.
Talking openly about emotional labor and supporting women helps connect history to real life.
Fast fact: Activists like Fannie Lou Hamer spoke openly about the personal cost of fighting for civil and voting rights and how it impacted her mental health. Even today, women who fight for justice and equality still experience the toll it takes on their mental health.
7. Talk about women’s history in everyday conversations
When women’s history is limited to special events or one month a year, it’s easy to feel like it’s a seasonal effort instead of something to work towards all year long.
It can be useful to make women’s history a part of everyday learning and discussion. Teachers may consider including women’s work when covering standard topics. Or work teams can mention women business experts during planning or problem-solving. These moments help reinforce that women’s contributions belong in the main story line.
Fast fact: When computer programming first emerged in the mid-20th century, it was considered women’s work, and programmers like Grace Hopper helped shape modern computing. As the field gained prestige, women’s contributions were often left out of everyday discussions of tech history — even though their work remains foundational.
When is women's history month FAQs
When is women’s history month in the United States?
Women’s History Month takes place every year in March in the United States. Schools, workplaces, and public institutions observe the month nationwide. Many classrooms use this time to teach women’s history in more detail. Libraries, museums, and community groups may also host events or share educational materials throughout the month.
Is Women’s History Month celebrated outside the U.S.?
Women’s History Month is mainly observed in the United States. Other countries honor women’s history in different ways. One of the most widely recognized events is International Women’s Day on March 8, which is marked around the world. The day often focuses on women’s rights and working conditions, though most countries do not observe women’s history for a full month.
Is Women’s History Month the same every year?
Women’s History Month always takes place in March in the United States, and the dates do not change. What can change is the yearly theme. These themes are chosen to highlight specific topics or groups of women, such as women in public service, science, or activism. Schools and organizations often use the theme to guide lessons or events, which helps keep the observance focused and relevant.
Why do we celebrate Women’s History Month?
Women’s History Month exists because history does not always accurately reflect the significant accomplishments that women have had in our world and our history. Their work is sometimes downplayed, mis-credited, or ignored all together. The month helps correct these gaps and show a more complete view of history.
What are ways to honor women’s achievements in history?
There are many ways to honor women’s achievements. Learning about women who were overlooked is one place to start. It can also help to support women-led organizations or businesses if you want to make a bigger impact. At work or school, making sure women’s ideas are heard and credited helps keep this recognition ongoing.
When is Black History Month?
Black History Month takes place every February in the United States. It honors the history and achievements of Black Americans and addresses the barriers Black communities have faced. Schools and organizations often use February to teach this history more fully.
Understanding how Black history and women’s history intersect is important. Black women have often faced extra pressures, including racism and sexism at the same time. Black women like Shirley Chisholm navigated these barriers while breaking new ground in U.S. politics, making their leadership an important part of both histories.
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