Women’s History Month serves a multitude of purposes; not only is it a time for reflection on how far women have come in society, but it is also a time for celebration. Today, women are entrepreneurs, politicians, scholars, mothers and caretakers, and sometimes they are a combination of these roles and more all at once. Thus, Women’s History Month is important because it reminds us all to thank the wonderful women we have in our lives for everything that they do and to continue to support them in their endeavors.
But the importance of Women’s History Month has also become about more than just giving thanks and support or acknowledging the female struggle—it is now about using the past to make changes for the better in the present. In the past six months, the concepts of feminism and gender equality have constantly been in the United States’ media, from actress Emma Watson’s “He for She” speech at the United Nations to the recent “#NotThere” campaign by the No Ceilings Project and their partners. Reworking the cultural definition of feminism and the way that women are treated has been an important job for not just women, but everyone. Watson addressed this need for “solidarity” from both sexes in her speech, saying, “Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too.” Feminism and gender equality are not about placing blame, but rather that men support women and women support men unconditionally when both genders are subjected to sexism. Each gender is entitled to an equal place in the home, the workforce, society, and the world at large, no exceptions.
Having a month to honor women provides an excellent platform to address inequality issues while still recognizing all of women’s important accomplishments. But let’s remember to make this more than 31 days for women—let’s make it 365 days for women, men, and the push for gender equality.
The post 31 days for women appeared first on Atlanta Free Speech.
View full post on Atlanta Free Speech