By HAYLEE BATES, Student Reporter
The month of March celebrates and reflects on the accomplishments that women have made throughout history.
According to the National Women’s History Project, March was declared National Women’s History Month in 1987 by Congress. Every year in March there is a presidential proclamation that honors women that make a difference in the United States. Women are also celebrated all over the world on March 8, for International Women’s Day.
Women have continuously fought for equality throughout history. In 1920 the nineteenth amendment was ratified and granted women the right to vote.
Still to this day, women are creating movements to bridge the gap for equality. Women are still paid less than men in the United States.
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, women that work fulltime make 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. This creates a pay gap of 20 percent between males and females.
This pay gap sparked the movement of women from all over the country as they participated in strikes and rallies on March 8, 2017, to stand up against the inequality. The individuals were spreading the message campaign ‘A Day Without a Woman’.
According to USA Today, the basis behind these rallies and strikes was to encourage women to skip work and refrain from spending money. This was encouraged to show a woman’s economic strength.
The women that were not able to skip work, but wanted to participate, wore red to support the movement. Many individuals in the marches wore red as well to unify all women.
Thousands of women attended rallies in places such as Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia in hopes of having their voices heard.