“For most of history, ‘Anonymous’ was a woman”-Virginia Woolfe
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it’s important to recognize how far we’ve come as a country, and how far we have to go.
History as we know it has always been a story largely told by men. An analysis of America’s most popular recent history books found that the vast majority, 75.8 percent, were written by men. And most of those men wrote about other men: 71.7 percent of biographies were about male subjects. Not only is it mostly men who write history, but according to almost all accounts, it’s mostly men who make history.
But it’s women who live through most of it. And in daily life, it’s women who do the work of remembering names, dates and events. It’s women who write the documents that rarely make it into the history books: shopping lists, birthday cards, letters. Men may have written the history, but women experienced it, observed it, and had their entire lives shaped by it. This is not to say that women do not “make history” in the ways our culture understands it: Women have always been writers, innovators and leaders, even if their lives and their contributions have often been buried.
A shift occurred in the 20th century with the birth of women’s history as an academic discipline. This was a push to recognize the achievements of women. More than that, it was a movement to ensure women had equal access to the academic institutions where their history might be taught. In the United States, the result was National Women’s History Month, an annual celebration born from the activism of historians’ intent on making sure women were recognized for their contributions and achievements throughout American history.
Call To Action Today
Currently 42% of businesses in the U.S. are female-owned. This number continues to increase. In fact, there are 114% more women entrepreneurs today than there were 20 years ago! This is great news. The pandemic however has hit women-owned businesses particularly hard. As the country works to overcome the economic effects of COVID-19, female-founded businesses can make a comeback, and all of us can help.
Here’s how we can support them:
- Shop #womenowned. The organization “Women Owned” keeps an updated list of female-founded businesses.
- Donate or become an investor in women-led companies. Financial support is everything to new businesses.
- Show support on social media by sharing and liking accounts that support and celebrate women.
- Share your network by inviting more females to participate as guest speakers and panelists at networking events. Offer women a seat at the table.
- Volunteer or mentor women in business. Reach out to small women-led businesses and offer guidance.
We all have the power to support women business owners. Are you a woman with an idea for a business? Find someone who has been through the process and take that risk if you’re inclined. Finally, make a promise to yourself not only during Women’s History Month, but every day, to always embrace your power as a woman.
“Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” – G.D. Anderson.
Please leave a comment – We live for them!
Written by: Security First & Associates