Inspirational Women Of History

 

March is such an important month. A full 31 days devoted to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of women to society. Without women, where would society be? Aside from extinct! LOL!

In all seriousness though, I think it’s important to teach our children – both the girls AND the boys – about the strength and creativity of women. We need to teach our daughters about the power and potential they possess to do anything and be anything that they want to be. We need to teach boys that although they are powerful and full of potential, so are their mothers, sisters, and female peers.

We need to raise the next generation to believe in gender equality and have a healthy respect for women. Women’s History Month is part of that, but I believe that this is a conversation that should happen all throughout the year and not just in March.

Teach your kids about women like Mother Teresa who dedicated her life to serving others.

Teach your kids about women like Maya Angelou who breathed beauty and power into women through words.

Teach your kids about women like Harriet Tubman who put her life on the line to lead hundreds of slaves to freedom.

Teach your kids about women like Helen Keller who proved that people with disabilities can do amazing things.

Teach your kids about women like Rosa Parks who took a stand against racial inequality.

They should learn about women like Amelia Earhart who showed that women can be brave in the face of the unknown.

They should learn about women like Mae Jemison who proved that women can hold their own in the major sciences.

They should learn about women like Marie Curie who was the first woman to wean a Nobel Prize.

They should learn about women like Malala Yousafzai who has fought for human rights even as a teenager.

They should learn about women like Oprah Winfrey who proves that women can be highly successful business owners.

They should learn about women like Eleanor Roosevelt, Laura Bush,  Michelle Obama and Melania Trump who show that behind many powerful men are powerful women supporting and encouraging them.

Curious about how to celebrate women during National Women’s History Month and beyond? Here are a few ideas.

Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future! (City Lights/Sister Spit)100 Women Who Made History 

Teach Mini History Lessons

Pick an important female figure for each day or week and focus on learning about her achievements and contributions to society. Choose women from all over the timeline of human history as well as in various fields. If you need inspiration, Jen Gordon’s Women’s History Month card deck features 30 phenomenal women who made important contributions to history, culture, and society. Education World also has some great lesson plans and classroom decoration ideas for you to use.

Read Books About Inspirational Women

Head to your local library or bookstore and pick up some books that feature women who have impacted the world in their own way. Some wonderful recommendations are Rad Women Worldwide, Rad American Women: A-Z as well as Shaped Our History…and Our Future. The Little People, Big Dreams series also has titles devoted to women like Amelia Earhart, Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Attend Local Events

Check your local events calendar for events in your area that are hosted by or feature motivational women. This can be a great opportunity for your child to meet and be surrounded by important female figures in their own community. You can also check out events at local colleges and universities.

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed HistoryRad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History 

Set Up Interviews With Women You Know

Sometimes, we are surrounded by women we know that have accomplished important and amazing things, but don’t even know it. Ask your network of female friends, family, and colleagues to find out if anyone would be willing to be interviewed by your child. Or ask your children to pick someone that they’d love to learn more about. Perhaps it will be their grandmother, a neighbor, their teacher, or even you. Help them come up with a list of interview questions so that they have something to guide them during the conversation. This could be a really cool monthly activity.

 

Volunteer at and/or Donate to a Women’s Organization

Emphasize to your children that Women’s History Month is more than just learning about women- it’s about supporting, empowering, and helping women. Sit down with your children and research various women’s organizations, like local women’s shelters, Girls Incorporated, the National Organization for Women (NOW), the Women’s Sports Foundation, Proverbs31 Ministries, Equipping Godly Women, Everyday Graces, Women Of Faith, PWOC, Planting Roots, LoTanner, and the YWCA.  Learn about their missions and decide with your children which ones you want to donate your family’s time and money to.

These are just a few ways that your entire family can celebrate not just Women’s History month every March, but women all throughout the year How does your family celebrate the achievements of women- both of the past and of today? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!