March is officially recognized as Women’s History Month, with March 8 acknowledged as International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day celebrates achievements and commemorates the vital impact of women in America’s past, present, and future.

Women’s History Month began as “Women’s History Week” in 1978 in Santa Rosa, California. In 1980, the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) successfully lobbied for national recognition for this week.

According to womenshistory.org, in February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week.

The month of March was officially dedicated to women’s history in 1995.

Naturally, women have always been an essential part of world history and American history, yet their contributions have often been overlooked. Women’s History Month was created to promote women’s accomplishments worldwide and embrace gratitude towards women as a whole.

The United Nations has sponsored International Women’s Day since 1975 as to “recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights require the active participation, equality and development of women.”

Every year the NWHA selects a theme for Women’s history Month; this year’s theme was “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” This theme was chosen to honor the women who have been active in all forms of media and story telling.

While it’s impossible to create a list of all the influential women in the past and present, I’ve curated a list of women who are extremely notable that relate to the NWHA’s theme this year.

Angela Davis (1944- ) is an American activist and scholar who is an advocate for women’s rights, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and prison reform. She was a member of the Black Panther Party and a professor teaching courses of women’s studies and history at UC Santa Cruz and San Francisco State University. Davis is an author of several books including Women, Race, and Class and Are Prisons Obsolete?—novels I highly recommend.

Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010) was elected the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. While serving as Chief, she fought for Native American rights and improving access to clean water and shelter in Native communities. Mankiller was inducted to the Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.

Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014) was a Japanese-American activist who fought for Asian-American rights and civil rights. She worked with Malcom X and focused her activism on black nationalism. Her dedication has continued to inspire younger generations of Asian-American activists.

Gloria Steinem (1934- ) is an American journalist, political activist, and feminist organizer. She has spent her adult life advocating for women’s rights and equality, as she was a prominent leader of the “second-wave” of feminism.

Happy Women’s History Month! This is a reminder to be extra nice to all the amazing women in your life.