Commemorative celebrations of women and women’s history have been recognized internationally since the early 1900s and include grassroots protests and marches, the first celebrations of National Women’s Day (USA), and International Women’s Day.¹ The first national recognition of Women’s History Month in the USA can be traced back to the declaration of Women’s History Week in 1981 and its preceding grassroots movements, and the weeklong celebration officially expanded into an entire month in 1988.² Women’s History Month in the USA coincides with International Women’s Day which is recognized by the United Nations and is celebrated internationally on March 8.

The histories of these important commemorations are complex, nuanced, and hardly linear, and they cannot be reduced to a few short paragraphs. Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day serve as annual reminders for global citizens to learn more about women’s history, to continue to recognize and uplift women, and to honor the countless contributions of women to both American and global societies.

Join us in recognizing these important commemorations by learning more about their history and exploring some events happening in Greater Houston!

Please note: these resources and event listings are included here as a courtesy to UHD employees. UHD is not responsible for the content of these resources or the details of any event listed here. Please visit each organization’s webpage to verify the details of any resource or event that interests you.

History of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day

• National Women’s History Museum | Why Women’s History?
• National Women’s History Museum | Women’s History Month
• International Women’s Day | History of International Women’s Day
• National Women’s History Alliance | Why is March Women’s History Month?

Downtown Events and Resources

• Houston Grand Opera | The Giving Voice - Recognizing Black Women in Opera and in Houston - Friday, March 8
• Click2Houston | Five Ways to Celebrate Women’s History Month Around Houston - ongoing
• The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park | Women’s History Tours - ongoing
• Houston Public Media | Women’s History Audio Vignettes
• Click2Houton | Women’s History Resources (includes many stories relating to history-making women in Houston)

We hope you have a chance to explore these resources and/or attend some of these events. We encourage you to share any other resources and/or events that you think we should include in this list by emailing hr@uhd.edu.

Happy celebrating, Gators!

1. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Activity/15586/The-history-of-IWD ↩︎
2. https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month ↩︎