What Students Should Know About Women's History Month

Women's History Month recognizes the fantastic achievements of women from all walks of life. It remembers the scientists, writers, athletes, and activists who helped shape the modern world and how their pioneering work opened up more opportunities for females around the globe. It's also a chance to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Here's what students should know about Women's History Month.

The origins of Women's History Month

Women's History Month is celebrated during the month of March in many countries and corresponds with International Women's Day on 8 March. The month-long observance originated in the USA in 1987 and is now an official recognition month in Australia and the UK as well. In Canada, October is designated as Women's History Month and corresponds with Persons Day on 18 October.

Each year, the month is marked by exhibits, performances, proclamations, and celebrations aimed at giving people the opportunity to learn about the many women and girls who have contributed to or shaped society in their countries and around the world. In some countries, the month will have a designated theme that highlights a specific aspect or cause related to women in society. For example, in the USA, the March 2023 theme was 'Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,' which focused on women in media and the arts.

One major theme that carries through the observations is women's fight for freedom, equality, and inclusion. The month's focal day - 8 March - commemorates women's rights movements around the world and the great women leaders who fought for women's suffrage and political recognition. Other women's liberation causes like gender equality, violence against women, reproductive rights, and workplace equality are also highlighted.

Women's History Month also acknowledges unsung heroes - women who work tirelessly to build better lives for their families or who challenge gender norms in their daily lives without recognition.

The importance of Women's History Month in higher education

Women's History Month celebrates the individuals and movements that have challenged social norms, political structures, policies, and laws that exclude women or limit women's autonomy and equality. One major limitation is access to education. There are very few examples of human societies that do not limit - or have not limited - women's access to education, either through social structures or governmental policies.

Until the 1830s, women in the USA couldn't attend higher education. Oberlin College became the first college to allow coeducation in 1837, and the decade also saw the emergence of women-only colleges. In the UK, Oxford University didn't admit women until 1920, while the first woman to attend Harvard enrolled in 1945. Shifting attitudes towards women's education also corresponded to women's suffrage movements. In most Western countries, women gained legal access to higher education in the late nineteenth century and universal suffrage in the early twentieth century.

Even as women gained greater access to higher education in the twentieth century, their contribution to academia, both before and after integration, remained either limited or hidden. In the twenty-first century, more attention has been given to women's contributions in a variety of fields, and curricula now include examples of great women whose work was ignored, forgotten, or appropriated. Celebrating Women's History Month on and off campus gives students and academics a chance to acknowledge the roles women have played in intellectual developments throughout history.

It's also a time to highlight that women are still excluded from higher education throughout the world. Yes, in many countries, women now outnumber men in higher-education-attainment, and by some metrics, women obtain greater success as well. But there are still barriers.

In the Western world, balancing life commitments like motherhood with academia can make it more difficult for women to start or complete higher education. Despite earning equivalent degrees, women still earn less than men in similar positions. And issues of violence against women, gender discrimination, and sexual harassment remain at the forefront of women's experiences on college and university campuses.

More importantly, there are many countries and regions in the world where women still do not have equal access to education. In only three countries—Canada, Israel, and the USA—do at least 50 percent of women have any tertiary education. According to UNESCO, only 33 percent of countries have explicit legal protection of the right to education for married, pregnant, or parenting girls and women. And 42 percent of countries do not guarantee the right to education without discrimination based on sex or gender.

Colleges and universities often use Women's History Month to bring awareness to these and other issues surrounding women and access to education.

Focal points for Women's History Month and education access

Unicef has identified some key factors that create barriers to girls and women achieving education. These include poverty, child marriage and early pregnancy, and gender-based violence and discrimination. Here are some ways these issues limit the educational opportunities for girls and women.

Poverty

Poverty is a limiting factor for educational attainment for both women and men, but it disproportionately affects women. There are several reasons for this. In the first instance, poor families might prioritize the education of boys over girls. In societies where women are expected to be primary caregivers to children and other family members, education might seem like a waste of resources.

Poverty may also systemically impact the ability of women and girls to obtain education. For example, period poverty, or the inability of girls and women to access affordable menstrual products or safe and hygienic toilet facilities, has a significant impact on the education of girls and women in both developed and developing countries. Period poverty leads to school absenteeism, mental and physical health issues, and social stigmas that all contribute to lower academic achievement for affected women and girls.

Child marriage and early pregnancy

Marriage and motherhood can create significant barriers to obtaining or continuing education because of cultural expectations, financial challenges, or the logistics of family life. In countries and societies that encourage or allow girls to be married before the age of majority, the impact is even greater. According to Pew Research, at least 117 countries allow children to be married.

Child marriage and educational attainment exist in a mutually dependent cycle where staying in school diminishes the chances that a girl will enter into a child marriage; simultaneously, girls who enter child marriages are more likely to stop attending school, leading to higher rates of poverty and increasing the chance that their children will also struggle to obtain education.

Child marriage also leads to early pregnancy, which in turn limits a girl's ability to complete her education, either because of her family responsibilities or because of laws or regulations that block access to education for married women or those with children. Even where child marriages are illegal or uncommon, teenage pregnancy is a significant factor in girls leaving secondary education or failing to obtain tertiary education.

Violence and discrimination

Violence against women is a major issue that impacts the lives of girls and women throughout the world in a multitude of ways. In the case of educational attainment, unsafe learning environments or dangerous commutes to school are a significant limitation on women and girls obtaining an education.

War and conflict negatively impact the educational attainment of both boys and girls, but like poverty, the impact is even greater for girls. This is both because of existing limitations and because, in conflict and refugee zones, the likelihood of violence against women and girls increases.

When women's education is not prioritized, or worse, seen as a threat to the social order, educating girls and women can also lead to individual and systemic violence against women and those who seek to support their academic attainment. One notable example is Malala Yousafzai. In 2012, she was targeted for assassination by the Pakistani Taliban because she advocated for women and children to be educated. She has since become one of the most prominent voices in discourse surrounding the right of women to education and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Discrimination, even without the threat of violence, is also a deterrent to women and girls seeking education. Whether it manifests as social norms undervaluing or stereotyping educated women, the underrepresentation of women in certain fields, or gender-based bias against the capacity for women to learn and succeed, discrimination against girls and women in education remains an issue around the world.

How can students make a difference?

There are many things that college students can do during Women's History Month and the rest of the year to advocate for women and girls, and specifically for their access to education.

Raise awareness

Use Women's History Month to champion women leaders and organizations that support women and girls seeking educational opportunities. Some ideas include:

• Put together fundraisers for initiatives that give girls access to educational resources, period products, or mentorship programs.
• Look locally and globally for women who are excelling in fields where women do not have adequate representation, like STEM, and invite them to speak to groups on campus.
• Screen films that tell the stories of the women behind the scenes.
• Organize a competition for local students to research and present information about women who have made significant contributions to social, cultural, and scientific developments.

Support education for all

When education is a right, not a privilege, everyone benefits. Many of the barriers that hold women and girls back, like poverty, violence, infrastructure shortfalls, and lack of female representation, negatively impact boys as well. Addressing these issues can increase educational access for everyone and improve the situation for future generations. To help, you can:

• Support organizations that work to give girls access to education through things like improved sanitary facilities, safe transportation to schools, teacher training, and gender-inclusive curricula.
• Advocate for policies and politicians that support gender equality in education and society at large. Vote in local elections, support your local school board, and campaign for politicians who are working to improve systemic barriers to education.
• Become a mentor, especially if you study or work in a STEM field. This goes doubly if you are a woman in STEM. Whether you mentor boys or girls, you'll normalize women in a historically underrepresented field and give students access to valuable academic and career opportunities.
• Coach a girls' sports team. Studies show that girls who participate in sports have better grades and attendance, are less likely to get pregnant, have better mental health, and learn important leadership and teamwork skills.

Study fields that support and improve equality and inclusion

You can turn your own education into advocacy by focusing on subjects or careers that can make a positive impact on education and equality. Some fields include:

• Education: Whether you study teaching, early childhood education, education administration, or education policy, you can make a difference by becoming an education professional.
• Human rights: Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that education is a fundamental human right. You can study human rights, human rights law, peace and conflict studies, or international diplomacy to pursue careers that will help you uphold that right and ensure that girls (and boys) all over the world have access to education.
• Social sciences: You can choose to work in research or pursue a hands-on career like social work or politics. Either way, social sciences, like political science, gender studies, international relations, and community development, provide a framework for understanding and addressing the factors that create barriers to educating women and girls.
• Sports: Women's sports are notoriously undervalued, receive less media coverage, and women are underrepresented in leadership and management positions in the sports sector. If you want to champion women's sports in your professional practice, consider studying sports management, sports journalism, coaching, or sports marketing.
• Technology: One way to help women and girls obtain education is to make education more accessible. Studying education technology, as well as other fields like learning systems and information technology, can lead to careers that will help you shape the future of education and bring educational resources to students who might otherwise have limited or no access.

Conclusion

Women's History Month may seem like other commemorative days, weeks, or months that highlight minority or underrepresented populations around the world. But the reality is that women make up about half the population of the world, and their contributions, achievements, stories, and rights matter.

In particular, when it comes to educational attainment and the right to education, issues that limit or prevent women from participating fully are not just women's issues but human issues. Students in higher education can use the month of March - and their entire academic experience - to become informed about or bring awareness to challenges to women's rights and education for women and girls.