While March is officially Women’s History month, ALOHA believes in celebrating and building confidence in girls and women all year round. Over 100 years ago, the seeds of U.S. Women’s History Month, were sown when International Women’s Day was launched on March 8, 1911. At that time women in most countries including the United States were not allowed to vote in elections, often they could not own property in their own name. In 1981, Women’s History Week was created, and in 1987, the week became an entire month to celebrate the contribution of women and has remained so since then. You can find details at http://womenshistorymonth.gov/. The best resource for kids on this topic is: http://www.timeforkids.com/minisite/womens-history-month.

Other notable woman celebrated During Women’s History Month, or Any Time:

On March 23, 2015 the search engine Google featured a woman mathematician on their homepage Google logo doodle. The mathematician was Emmy Noethers, in celebration of her 133rd birthday. Albert Einstein apparently considered her “The most significant creative mathematical genius thus far produced.” Click this link to learn more about her and her mathematical work.

Sandra Day O’Connor, the U.S. first woman Supreme Court Justice, was appointed in 1981. In 1952, when she graduated from law school, she was initially unable to find a job, in part because she was a woman lawyer. After 24 years on the Supreme Court, her influence has been widely felt.

Marie Curie, a French woman scientist (1867 – 1934), discovered that some elements give off radiation. A 1903 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in physics, she also won the prize in 1911 in chemistry. As an early woman scientist, her notable work made it easier for the next generation of female scientists.

More recent history, Time For Kids readers selected Malala Yousafzai as their Person of the Year. She was just 17 years old in 2014 when she won the Nobel Peace prize for her work to promote the right to attend school for girls in her home country of Pakistan, which was being threatened by the Taliban’s takeover of her region. Malala is the youngest person to win the peace prize. She shared the prize with an adult children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education,” according to the Nobel Prize Committee.

Celebrating all Women and Girls, not Just those who are Famous, Every Day

One site, http://www.historynet.com/famous-women-in-history, also pointed out that women’s history is not just about those women who became famous for something that they did. But it is the countless lives of women choosing to do what they see needs to be done in their own lives, families, communities, and world. It is about outstanding people who happen to be women. Yes, these famous women have shown that women and girls can have a large impact and effect change on a large scale. They have shown others by their examples. But it is up to each individual to step forward and do the best at what she can do.