Editorial

Why we still need Women’s History Month

Posted

In late 1916, Brooklyn’s Inez Milholland Boissevain, a prominent New York attorney and suffragist, was traveling the country, demanding equal rights for women, including the right to vote. By the time she reached the West Coast, she was exhausted, and she collapsed during a speaking engagement in Los Angeles, according to www.inezmilhollandcentennial.com.

Milholland Boissevain died of pernicious anemia, an inability to absorb B-12, on Nov. 25, 1916, becoming a martyr of the suffragist movement. Women by the thousands gathered in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10, 1917, to remember her, and to call on the federal government to respect the rights of women.

Three years later, women were finally granted the right to vote, when Congress passed the Constitution’s 19th Amendment.

Yes, unbelievably, for 144 years of our nation’s history, women couldn’t vote — and thus didn’t have a voice in government. We mustn’t forget that.

Today, women are far better off than they were a century ago, but in many ways they still struggle. They earn only 79 cents on the dollar when compared with men doing the same work. Women are still often subject to discrimination in the workplace. And too often they are belittled and objectified by men.

That is why we must recognize Women’s History Month in March. Women’s struggle for equal rights continues to this day.

Women’s History Month started as a small-town school celebration in Sonoma, Calif., in 1978, according to www.history.com. There were presentations at dozens of schools. Afterward, hundreds of students took part in a “Real Woman” essay contest, and there was a parade in downtown Santa Rosa.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 National Women’s History Week. The following year, Congress passed a resolution establishing a national celebration, and because of lobbying efforts by the National Women’s History Project, that celebration was extended in 1987 to the entire month of March.

International Women’s Day was first marked on March 8, 1911, and is annually celebrated throughout the world. The United Nations has sponsored the day since 1975. According to the U.N., the day is needed “to recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms requires the active participation, equality and development of women.” This year’s theme for the day is Be Bold for Change.

In Nassau County, a number of events will honor women throughout March. Here are a few.

Just Desserts
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals invite residents to nominate “extraordinary women” who make a difference in Nassau County, give back to their communities, inspire and lead by example. A celebration of their achievements — called Just Desserts — will be held on May 18, at 6 p.m., at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.

The Just Desserts Celebration will benefit the NCSPCA, which partners with the Safe Center LI to house the pets of domestic violence victims. Tickets for the event are $20 each, and guests will have the chance to sample a variety of signature desserts from several local bakeries. Tickets will sell out quickly, and will not be available at the door.

To request a nomination ballot, call Kim Collins at (516) 571-4044 or email her at kcollins@nassaucountyny.gov.

Town Pathfinders Award ceremony
Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony Santino and members of the Town Board were scheduled to honor 11 women who live or work in the town for their outstanding contributions to the community at Hempstead’s annual Pathfinder Awards ceremony on March 7, after press time. The public was invited to attend.

Hofstra University presentation
The Hofstra Cultural Center will present a reading by San Francisco writer, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit on March 27 at 6:30 p.m. Afterward, Solnit will discuss her latest books, the recent U.S. election and what it means for feminism and the environment. She is the author of 17 books and the recipient of many awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award. She will appear at the Helene Fortunoff Theater in the Monroe Lecture Center on Hofstra’s South Campus. The event is free, but advance registration is required. RSVP online at www.hofstra.edu.