Throughout history, especially in the case of American History, women have fought long and hard to prove themselves equal to men. They’ve had to claw and elbow their way just to claim a seat at equality’s table. They’ve excelled and overcome so much, despite being perceived as unqualified to possess equal footing with their male counterparts. The month of March is set aside to honor all women.
Former President Jimmy Carter initially declared March 2-8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. In 1987, March was declared by Congress to be Women’s History Month in perpetuity. Each year, a special Presidential Proclamation is issued to honor women.
Through sheer grit and determination, women have gained great strides on the equality battlefield. From securing voting rights through the suffrage movement, to supporting war efforts, women have excelled. Be it politics, sports, academia, entertainment, journalism, fashion, and the corporate world–they are excelling! And, while some metaphorical ceilings have been smashed to bits, there are others that are still yet to be breached.
We’re in the year 2019, and as a whole, the earning gap among genders remain unequal. On average, women earn seventy-eight cents for every dollar that men earn, showing that the wheels of progress have spun slowly thus far. In its history, America is steadily shedding her archaic norms of the past. Sadly though, there are parts of the world that have a lot of catching up to do. There are nations where women practically have no rights, with laws in place for men to maintain their status quo. While no nation is perfect, America can serve as an example to nations such as those, while continuing to improve herself. Think about this for a moment; the world’s population exists because of women who gave birth to it. Here’s to all the women of the world…I salute you!
Charles R. Butts Jr. 