This month marks the 36th annual Women’s History Month since its first observance in 1987 in the United States. Women’s History Month began as a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history, and society in 1978 in the state of California. This celebration grew over the years and the National Women’s History Project was successfully petitioned to expand across the entire month of March in 1987

This year, the theme for Women’s History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories”. The National Women’s History Alliance described the importance of this theme as it “honours women in every community who have devoted their lives and talents to producing art, pursuing truth, and reflecting the human condition decade after decade”.

At Cordis Bright, we think this month offers an opportunity to celebrate the women of past and current history who spoke out against injustice and provided a voice for silenced communities. It also acts as a reminder of the continued inequalities experienced by women across the sectors we work in, particularly those who face an intersection of discrimination and marginalisation.

We are committed to educating ourselves and continuing our efforts to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion within our organisation and in the work we do. This month we are preparing resources and themed events internally regarding the history and position of women’s rights in the UK, a blog about health inequalities experienced by women, and a period-poverty drive in partnership with our local project of the Hygiene Bank. We hope this will be a valuable and engaging month for all who participate.