Gingrich Library: Your Success Is Why We're Here!
This celebration has its roots in the early 20th century and has evolved significantly over the years.
The concept began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978, when the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women organized a "Women's History Week". They chose the week of March 8 to coincide with International Women's Day. The idea quickly spread across the country, with other communities initiating their own celebrations the following year.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th, 1980, as National Women's History Week. This recognition came after successful lobbying efforts by a consortium of women's groups and historians, led by the National Women's History Project (now the National Women's History Alliance).
The week-long celebration expanded to a month-long observance in 1987 when Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as "Women's History Month". Since 1995, each president has issued annual proclamations designating March as Women's History Month!