By Rachel Suggs, LiveGirl High School Mentor
Everyone loves a good story time. There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book next to a roaring fire on a snow day, or devouring a high-quality beach read with your toes in the sand.
But stories are not just to entertain; they can have a lasting impact on their audience. Specifically, stories about the successes of inspirational women deserve to be widely shared, heard, and respected.
Only a small fraction of the history that we learn in school focuses explicitly on the power and bravery of women. In fact, a 2017 National Women’s History Museum report on the status of women’s role in national K-12 history lessons found that women are severely underrepresented.
As the Smithsonian Magazine calculated from the study’s findings, out of 737 specific historical figures taught in American classrooms, 559 are men and 178 are women, which is approximately 1 woman mentioned for every 3 men.
In order for women to believe that they can change the world, they need to see themselves represented in roles of power and influence, both in contemporary times and over the course of history.
That’s why Women’s History month is so vital to women's education. It is a month dedicated to telling the powerful stories of women, and this year especially is seeing a heavy emphasis on promoting the influential actions of otherwise lesser-known women.
Women’s History Month is a time to learn from the women who came before us and to spread awareness of all that women have contributed to society. It is a month to deliberately share the stories of brave women.
I’m wishing a happy Women’s History Month celebration to all of you, not just this month, but always.
