3 Ways to Participate in Women’s History Month

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Global Thinkers Forum by Athena

As a board member of both the Global Thinkers Forum and Athena40, I am passionate about sharing the message of accountable leadership, women’s empowerment, and youth development. In light of the #MeToo Movement women’s history is undergoing dramatic change on a global scale. Historically, Women’s History Month is celebrated every March and dedicated to the celebration of women of various backgrounds, ethnicities, eras, and cultural contributions. Today, this nationally recognized month takes on much more significance in light of our evolving global culture, history and society.

In the U.S., the holiday became legally recognized as a national celebration in 1987, after a bit of an uphill battle. The month is rooted in “Women’s History Week” as was proposed in 1981. Having a mere week dedicated to honoring over half of the population was simply was not satisfactory for the National Women’s History Project, a group who protested to change it from a week into the entire month of March.

In response, the U.S. Congress passed additional pieces of legislation officially declaring that Women’s History is be celebrated in March annually. This was finally accomplished in 1994. From 1995 to present day, four presidents have designated the national holiday: Former presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama as well as President Trump.

During Women’s History Month, what can you do?

1. Participate: Join the global panel discussion conversation with women leaders about The Way to the Top on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. Join in to any of the following cities: New York – London – Monrovia – Amman – Lahore.
2. Donate: Consider donating to or volunteering with the Global Fund for Women which strengthens women’s leadership or the Ms. Foundation for Women which creates and improves opportunities for women in the U.S.
3. Visit Landmarks: Institutions such as the National Women’s History Museum or the National Women’s History Alliance support the education on women’s historical achievements and the empowerment. Take time to learn about women long past through books, movies and podcasts.
4. Show Appreciation: Express your appreciation to the women your life, whether it’s a mentor, colleague, mother, sister, aunt, or grandmother. Many times a simple “thank you” goes a long way in expressing gratitude for their wisdom and insight.

However you choose to honor Women’s History Month this year, above all remember that honoring women must take place always, regardless of the month. We hope you join our March 6 global discussion.

Sharon Schweitzer and A.Hannah Alvarado co-wrote this post. Sharon Schweitzer, J.D., is a cross-cultural trainer, attorney, modern manners expert, and the founder of Access to Culture. In addition to her accreditation in intercultural management from the HOFSTEDE Centre and the Intercultural Communication Institute, she serves as a Chinese Ceremonial Dining Etiquette Specialist in the documentary series Confucius was a Foodie, on Nat Geo People. She is the resident etiquette expert on two popular lifestyle shows: ABC Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend and CBS Austin’s We Are Austin. She is regularly quoted by BBC Capital, Investor’s Business Daily, and Fortune. Her Amazon #1 Best Selling book in International Business, Access to Asia: Your Multicultural Business Guide (Wiley 2015), now in its third printing, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2015. She’s a winner of the British Airways International Trade Award at the 2016 Greater Austin Business Awards and the 2017 New York City Big Book Award for Multicultural Nonfiction.

Continuing her higher education at Texas State University, A.Hannah is set receive her Bachelor’s Degree in English, in 2019. She is a native Texan with a background in writing, sales, social media marketing and customer service. Hannah aspires to perfect her passion and craft of writing and hopes to one day become a novelist. With all the fantastic opportunities offered at Access to Culture, she is excited to be a new member of the team. Connect with her at Hannah Alvarado.