Here’s to March as Women’s History Month – As a way to honor it, I invite you to write in one (or more) of your favorite women from history who did not have children.  She can be someone who was childless by circumstance or not, or a woman who was childfree-someone who consciously chose not to have children in eras where that was a bold choice.

Even if you don’t know how she came to have no children (I find not knowing exactly how many came to have no children is fairly common, at least from reading the history books), if she is one of your favorites, write in about her….let’s focus on great women from history whose lives did not include motherhood.

But first…

…a nod to that there even is a Women’s History Month. How did it come to be? The idea started in 1981. From the Law Library of Congress’ guide to the legislative history of Women’s History Month:Womens History Month2

“Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as ‘Women’s History Week.’  Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as ‘Women’s History Week.’

In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as ‘Women’s History Month.’  Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month.

Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as ‘Women’s History Month.'”

Want to see some great examples? Check out a smashing pinterest by Olivia Reading !

Briefly answer these questions for your pick:

1. Why is she one of your favorite women from history?

2. What about  her life intrigues  or interests you the most?

3. What about her or her life inspires you the most?

Lucy BurnsI’ll start. Here is one one of my favorites.

Watching the recent documentary aired on PBS , “Makers: Women Who Make America” brought to mind amazing women in history–one such group was the incredibly bold suffragettes who fought for women’s right to vote.  One of these brave women who had no children was Lucy Burns.

She is one of my favorites because of her dogged determination, such that she devoted most of her adult life to fighting for women’s equal voting rights. I am most interested in how her role in achieving the 19th amendment unfolded, and I find this point in her role in the process very inspiring:

“Burns was the first woman to speak before the Congressional delegates in 1914 when the Anthony amendment finally made it out of committee and into the House.While her speech was primarily to set the stage for Alice Paul, she also outlined the accomplishments of the Congressional Union. The fact that she was the first to speak at such a critical time for federal suffrage shows not only her courage in the face of opposition, but how well respected she was by her fellow leaders and suffragists. The speeches of Burns and Paul were incredibly important at that time in the movement because they showed politicians that women would unite as a voting bloc.”

Let’s hear from You!

Pin It on Pinterest