March Is Women's History Month

As we enter women’s history month, we applaud and admire women who continue to break past the barriers of societal pressures and expectations. This month is a time of reflection as much as it is an opportunity to keep creating brighter futures for generations to come!

The first Women's History Day was held in 1909. February 28, 1909 marked the first Woman's History Day in New York City. It commemorated the one-year anniversary of the garment workers' strikes, when 15,000 women marched through lower Manhattan. From 1909 to 1910, immigrant women who worked in garment factories held a strike to protest their working conditions. Most of them were teen girls who worked 12-hour days. Young women worked in tight conditions at sewing machines, and the factories' owners didn't keep the factory up to safety standards. In 1911, the factory burned down and 145 workers were killed. It pushed lawmakers to finally pass legislation meant to protect factory workers.

In 1987, March officially became Women’s History Month. Women's organizations, including the National Women's History Alliance, campaigned yearly to recognize Women's History Week. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 Women's History Week across the country. By 1986, 14 states had declared the entire month of March Women's History Month. The following year, in March of 1987, activists were successful: They lobbied Congress to declare March Women's History Month.

Every year, Women’s History Month honors a new theme. The 2022 theme is "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope," according to the National Women's History Alliance. This theme not only honors the tireless work of caregivers and frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also women of all backgrounds who have provided compassionate healing, hope and protection for the betterment of patients, friends, and family.

Having the ability to protect yourself as a woman has reached an all time high. Safety practices have become more and more accessible as time goes on, but the fight for equality continues. Stay secure with fairness and the protection of AFI’s Umbrella Insurance, which includes coverage above and beyond your homeowner, personal liability, and auto insurance. Protect nearly everything else with AFI insurance products. Learn more here.