In 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History project, the month of March was officially passed by congress and designated as National Women’s History Month. At first glance this celebration might just seem like another federal holiday, but it has much more meaning to the women here at Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

At BSM the staff and faculty like to commemorate the steps women have made throughout the past couple of centuries. “I think Women’s History Month is a good opportunity to just celebrate the accomplishments of not only, historically influential women who have paved the way over the course of time, but also celebrating women in our community who made great impacts to us,” Director of Senior High Admissions Betsy Van Cleve said.

During this month there are many positive outcomes that are portrayed in our community. “I would hope that it’s awareness, recognition of things that people have done and then sacrifices that people have made that contributes to where we are today,” history teacher Megan Kern said.

Students throughout the BSM building celebrate this month not only for the history of women, but also by branching out and communicating struggles and challenges that they are currently facing in today’s society. “For me, I like to talk to women. I love all women. And I just feel like we really need to listen, you know, and I feel like at this time, it’s especially important to do our research on women’s issues and kind of promote the solutions of fixing the women’s issues,” senior Eleanor Hutchinson said.

Students have noticed different ideas portrayed about Women’s History Month in the hallways and in classrooms too. “I think what we have is good. We have presentation slides on the TVs. And we can learn a little bit more about it in history during this month in English,” student Mckenzie McMoore said.

Not only is Benilde-St.Margaret’s promoting this month through teaching and public displays, but they are also giving students other first hand experiences with leaders that represent what they are celebrating. “An affinity group. We had like a day where we had a food like doughnuts from a woman owned business. And they had like slideshows. I think that was like a big part of it for me,” student Jazz Whitfield said.

Due to the history of inequality between men and women, Women’s History Month is important to women because it lays down a foundation of equality for both genders. “I would just say people can take a lot of advantage of it … people do it to put women over men, which I don’t think is okay. I feel like it’s to make them equal. Like we’re nobodies trying to get over each other. And I think it’s very important to make them equal because we don’t want any group higher than other ones,” student Melania Meyers said.