March is Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month is a month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and society. Celebrated around the world during March, it corresponds with International Women’s Day which is held on March 8th.

“One this day [in the US] in 1987, Congress passed a resolution declaring March as Women’s History Month. This month, we celebrate the women who fought, took risks, and stood up for what was right. We celebrate their legacy, and continue to fight.”

One thing does seem to be a recurring trait – and that is that women’s history doesn’t get written about nearly enough. They were often the backbone of not only a family, but society itself. They lived, they worked, they got into trouble, they struggled, they triumphed, they were inspirational. Every woman has a story. They helped make history!

So let’s do what we can to recount some of their stories and make sure they are not forgotten.

HOW WILL YOU REMEMBER YOUR FEMALE ANCESTORS?
Need some ideas?

• how about sharing some old family photos of a female ancestor, and telling a story about them
• what about doing an oral histry recording of your memories of your mum, grandma, aunts etc. (or another female in the family)
• if you’re a blogger, tell a story about an amazing female in your family, or if you are more into local history, some females from the local community
• do you have an heirloom or two that are they connected to family members? Share that story, so family knows the significance of them item
• spend the month doing research so you can give that “Mrs Smith” or “Mrs Tucker” from your family tree a name
• if you’re into crafts you might want to sew, quilt, crossstitch, scrapbook or anything else similar, a project that will honour the females in your family

RESEARCH THEM …
There’s a whole bunch of titles, that relate to finding your female ancestors, an below I’ve listed just a few of them. Click here for more.

• Finding Florence, Maude, Matilda, Rose: Researching and Writing Women into Family History
• Fair Game: Australia’s First Immigrant Women
• Nurses and Midwives in Australian History: A Guide to Historical Sources
• Single and Free: Female Migration to Australia 1833-1837
• The Tin Ticket: The Heroic Journey of Australia’s Convict Women
• Tracing Your Female Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians
• Van Diemen’s Women: A History of Transportation to Tasmania
• Women’s Lives: Researching Women’s Social History 1800-1939

SHARE THEM …
If you’re on social media, why not share photos of your female ancestors. Various archival organisations are posting a photo from their collection on Facebook, highlighting one woman from history each day. And don’t forget to hashtag it: #WomensHistoryMonth

WHO’S UP FOR A BLOG CHALLENGE?

Gena from Gena’s Genealogy has created a blog challenge for Women’s History Month. Her theme this year is “Her Life in 31 Objects”, so follow along to get inspiration, and feel free join in if you wish. I really do love this idea, but am not organised enough at present to participate, but I may even do it at a later time.

“We’re all immortal, as long as our stories are told.”
― Elizabeth Hunter, The Scribe

“Once in memory, always in history.”
― Levi Ramos

#WomensHistoryMonth