It is not surprising that two important women in the history of the United States, America's first woman lawyer (Bradwell) and the first African American woman astronaut in space (Jemison), have been forgotten in pages of American textbooks.
Although it is rarely mentioned, women have made huge contributions to the history of the United States, despite their standing as second-class citizens.
Women were not only denied the right to vote, but were also hindered in educational pursuits, denied equal opportunities in professions and limited in the right to own property.
Successful attempts to change all that started in 1848 when Elizabeth Cady Stanton read the "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions" at the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848. Her Declaration would later become the platform for the women's movement in this country.
It stated, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal."
Seventy-two years later, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified, granting women the right to vote. Congress also passed a number of laws in the 1960s and 1970s that provided equal opportunities for women in school, sports and jobs.
However, just because women have gained huge steps in political and social areas is no reason to forget the past. America must value the effort and contribution women have made to the development of our country. We must also remember the women's suffrage movement and women's struggle to gain equal standing with men.
March is the annual celebration of Women's History. This event is important because it recognizes the fact that women have been important in shaping the face of America. By simply acknowledging the achievements of women in history, a message is sent to all the young women in the classrooms of America: you are important, you matter and you have the power to make change.
Two-hundred years ago, a woman would never have dreamed of having a voice in the government. A woman's life was worth less simply because she was a woman. Today that has changed - though not completely.
Women's History Month also celebrates the way women today have choices and freedoms beyond just voting and owning property - that women can survive independent of men. Codes against sexual harassment and family-friendly policies have helped to integrate women into senior management. For example, Carly Fiorina was appointed CEO and president of Hewlett-Packard in July of 1999.
However, not enough women are rewarded jobs in high positions. Women make up 46 percent of the workforce, but are just 3.3 percent of corporate top earners. This gap is largely due to the "glass ceiling." The term refers to the invisible, instituational barriers that have historically stopped women from climbing the corporate ladder. The "glass ceiling" means that women do not have the same access to jobs and education as men, shown by the fact that women earn on average just 75 cents for every dollar men earn.
That is one of reason why Women's History Month is so important - there is still more work to be done. Reformers cannot rest while there is a salary gap between men and women and society still places expectations on women that limit their ability to pursue their dreams.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Luch Stone and Susan B. Anthony fought for an equal society. We ask both teachers and students to honor their contributions by writing women back into history and continuing to work for the advancement of women.