In celebration of Women’s History Month, it is important to recognize women’s contributions throughout history.
It can be easy to forget what womanhood has meant over the past couple of centuries.
It’s not that women always have it easy now, but being a woman in the 21st century is certainly great in many aspects.
I’m considering my life now as a woman. Not only do I attend college, but I write for the Ferris State Torch as well.
Several women have made great contributions to American journalism, including Nellie Bly and Ida B. Wells.
Bly was the most famous woman American reporter of the 19th century. Perhaps her greatest achievement was exposing the horrible conditions and abuse in the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island.
Wells is a prominent civil rights activist and woman journalist known for fighting against lynching and racial discrimination, as well as advocating for women’s suffrage.
Each of these women, and many others, paved the path that allowed me to be where I am now.
Their bravery in being a woman in journalism made it possible for me and many other women to be journalists today.
This month, I am deeply considering what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. A tremendous amount of progress has been made by women, for women.
I am so grateful for the opportunities I have today.
At the same time, I still feel a little bitter. How could I not?
The United States was founded in 1776.
The Seneca Falls Convention, often considered the birthplace of the women’s rights movement in the United States, was not held until 1848. This was 72 years after the United States was founded.
Why did it take so long?
It wasn’t until 1920 that the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women the legal right to vote. This was nearly 150 years after the United States was founded.
Nearly 150 years after the United States became a country, women were not given a say in politics. When I think about how much time that is, my mind is blown.
As a woman in journalism today, I am grateful. At the same time, I am a little saddened this month, considering why the rights of myself and so many other women were unimportant for so long.
There is no denying that immense progress has been made. I’ll be the first to say that women today have it easier than the women a couple hundred years ago.
It’s also important to hold space for the grief that accompanies women when we consider how long it took to achieve the rights that are human rights.
March is not just a month of recognizing the achievements of women throughout history but a month of analyzing the bravery that propelled those women to push for progress.
With this appreciation for their courage comes the grief of knowing their stories, and it would be a tragedy to ignore.