Women’s History Month with Social Workers

Women’s History Month celebrates women’s contributions to history, culture and society (History.com Editors, 2009). This celebration became official in 1987 after being a weeklong celebration in Sonoma, California. This weeklong celebration was organized by Sonoma’s school district in 1978. Where students were required to write papers on women who contributed to history in their community and marched at the end of the week to celebrate these women.

Women’s History Month is focused on bringing attention to contributions that are overlooked in history, this includes individuals like Jane Addams, who was a social worker that won a Nobel Peace Prize after founding the Hull House in Chicago, IL. The Hull House was aimed to reduce poverty by providing social services and education to working class individuals (Prull, 2018). Also, Jeanette Rankin who was the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. Rankin helped pass the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote (Prull, 2018). Many women in the social work field were fearless activists for change to the social norms, such as the biases towards women.

According to the National Association of Social Work [NASW](n.d.), social work is a profession devoted to helping people function the best they can in their environment. Social workers give those who are overlooked a listening ear advocating and promoting social welfare as well as social and economic justice for minority groups such as women.

Social workers act to prevent discrimination against any person, group, or class based on race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political beliefs, religion, immigration status or mental or physical ability (NASW, n.d.).

Social work played a great deal in history. Women are celebrated and recognized by the many contributions in history that they have made today. Women can be heard but still today social workers must fight to break those biases towards women in society, and advocate for the deserved equity.

This month let's recognize everyday women, let's acknowledge your grandmother, your mom, your cousin maybe even the school social worker. But most importantly yourself! Let's recognize that as women we deserve to be celebrated every day.

References

History.com Editors. (2009, December 30). Women's History month 2022. History.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month#why-do-we-celebrate-women-s-history-month

National Association of Social Workers. National Association of Social Workers. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

Prull, K. (2018, March 14). News. Rutgers School of Social Work. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://socialwork.rutgers.edu/news-events/news/influential-women-history-social-work