Women's History Month in March: A Time to Celebrate and Honor

National Women's History Month is proclaimed each year in March. Women's History Month dates back to 1857 when women factory workers in New York City protested bad working conditions. Today, women in the U.S. can celebrate the 2009 passing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and signed into law by President Barack Obama. Up until 2009, all 50 United States paid women lower wages than men for the same work.

Women Outnumber Men in the U.S. as of October 2008

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of October 1, 2008 there were 154.7 million women in the U.S. compared to 150.6 million men. Women 85 and older outnumber men of the same age by more than two to one.

More Women Than Men Will Earn Bachelor's and Master's Degrees

More women than men aged 25 to 29 hold Bachelor's Degrees. It is estimated that in the 2008-2009 school year, women will be awarded 58% of Bachelor's Degrees and 60% of Master's Degrees.

Perhaps these U.S. Census statistics will enlighten former 2008 Presidential Candidate John McCain. In April 2008, John McCain skipped a Senate vote on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act saying he would have voted against it anyway. John McCain believes the real issue behind women's equality is: "They need the education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else.And it's hard for them to leave their families when they don't have somebody to take care of them. It's a vicious cycle that's affecting women, particularly in a part of the country like this, where mining is the mainstay; traditionally, women have not gone into that line of work, to say the least."

More Women Than Men Hold Management and Professional Positions

The truth is, in 2007, 59% or 71 million females aged 16 or older were in the workforce. 38% of those females held jobs in management or professional occupations compared to 32% of men. As of 2007, there were 1.8 million women military veterans. In the same year, women represented 14% of the U.S. Armed Forces. More than 7.1 million people in the U.S. are employed by women-owned businesses that earn about $939 billion in revenue. California, New York, and Texas have the highest percentage of women-owned businesses.

Notable Firsts for Women Since 1995

There are hundreds of notable women's firsts that are worthy of listing to celebrate National Women's History Month in March, but some of the best occurred in the last 15 years:

1995 Lt. Col. Eileen Collins - first American woman pilot of a Space Shuttle

1997 Madeleine K. Albright - first American woman to be named Secretary of State

2000 Hillary Clinton - only First Lady to be elected to the United States Senate

2002 Halle Berry - first African American woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress

2005 Condoleezza Rice - first African American woman to be named Secretary of State

2007 Nancy Pelosi - first woman to be elected as Speaker of the House

Click here to see a complete list of women's firsts from The History Channel. One of the most respected women in the modern day women's rights movement was Maya Angelou. Click here to view videos from The History Channel for some of Maya Angelou's most notable women's rights comments.

Women in the National Hall of Fame

The National Women's Hall of Fame includes 226 women that have been inducted as of 2008. The National Women's Hall of Fame is located in Seneca Falls, New York that is considered the national birthplace of women's rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and 300 others gathered in Seneca Falls for the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848. Also, Alice Paul called for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in Seneca Falls in 1923. To read about all 226 Women of the Hall, click here.

Honor an Extraordinary Woman in the Hall of Fame Book of Lives and Legacies

The National Women's Hall of Fame has created the Book of Lives and Legacies online web page to allow anyone to pay tribute to and honor that extraordinary woman, whether it is your mother, a friend, or a business colleague who is deserving of a lasting honor. You can honor women from your organization or your career field for exceptional achievement like holding high-ranking positions or founding a company or meritorious organization.

The woman honored in the Book of Lives and Legacies will receive a special recognition plaque and a one-year free membership to The National Women's Hall of Fame. Click here for more information on how to pay tribute to a special woman for National Women's History Month in March.

Sources:

U.S. Census Bureau

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/013129.html

Obama Signs Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 into Law

http://www.eeoc.gov/epa/ledbetter.html

Women's History Month, The History Channel

http://www.history.com/minisites/womenhist/

http://www.history.com/content/womenhist/firsts-in-women-s-achievement

http://www.history.com/content/womenhist/featured-videos

The National Women's Hall of Fame Inductees

http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewAll

The National Women's Hall of Fame Book Of Lives and Legacieshttp://www.greatwomen.org/book.php