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Celebrating the Ladies: National Women's History Month

posted Mar 26, 2014, 5:34 PM by Unknown user   [ updated May 12, 2014, 8:27 AM by Unknown user ]
Jess Cunningham 

    As March draws to a close, so does National Women’s History Month. To celebrate, here are some important dates and interesting statistics to acknowledge the many women who rewrote the rules to what it means to be, as Gwen Stefani put it, “just a girl in the world.”

Timeline of Important History Moments for Women


1848 — First women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, NY.

Aug. 26, 1920 — The 19th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution allowing women the right to vote.

Early 1960s — The Civil Rights Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission banned discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sex.

Late 1960s — The National Organization for Women is formed.

June 23, 1972 — Title IX happens, allowing more women to pursue education and be involved in sports in education.

Jan. 22, 1973 — Roe vs. Wade legalizes trimester-approached abortions.  

Late 1970s — The Pregnancy and Discrimination Act passed, prohibiting discrimination against pregnancy, childbirth, or alike medical conditions.

1994 — The Violence Against Women Act allows for tighter punishments when it comes to matters of rape, domestic violence, and sex offenders.

Jan. 2013 — The ban on women having combat roles in service is lifted.


Women, Statistically Speaking


Number of women in the United States (as of 2013): 161 million

Number of women in the workforce (16 and up, 2013): 74.8 million

Amount of money earned from women to men: 77 cents to a dollar

Number of female veterans (as of 2012): 1.6 million

Number of female college students (fall 2012): 11.3 million

Percentage of female voters (2012): 63.7%

Number of mothers (2013): 85.4 million

Number of women married in 2013: 66 million


Women Figures To Remember (to name a few!)  


Abigail Adams — Wife to President John Adams, who reminded him in drafting the constitution that women, “will not hold ourselves bound by laws in which we have no voice.”  

Sojourner Truth — Famed advocate for both African American rights as well as women’s rights, known for her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony — Two famous leaders in the fight for women’s suffrage.

Jeanette Rankin — First woman elected to Congress.

Amelia Earhart — First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Rosie the Riveter — Though only a fictional character, Rosie encouraged women to become involved in the war effort.

Rosa Parks — The woman who refused to give up her seat and sparked a revolution.

Sally Ride — First American woman in space.   

Sandra O’Connor — First woman on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Condoleezza Rice — First African-American woman appointed as Secretary of State.


To see more, check out Esquire.com’s list of Greatest Women in History: http://www.esquire.com/women/women-issue/greatest-women-in-history#slide-1


Much gratitude is to be expressed to these ladies, and many others, for making our world a better place for women all over. Happy National Women’s History Month!  

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