Women's History Month at Stony Brook University

An image depicting three women's silhouettes in various shades of red, facing to the right. At the top, in white text, it says "Women's History Month"

Women’s History Month (WHM) is an annual celebration of the continuous, significant, vital contributions women have made to society, history, and their respective cultures. Women’s History Month in the United States began as a week initially commissioned by Congress in 1981. In 1987, after fervent petitions by the National Women's History project, Congress passed PUB.L.100-9 designating the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.”

For years, Women’s History Month was celebrated mostly by student groups and campus departments/offices sponsoring individual programs. However, in 2018, under the coordination of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (now the Office of Diversity, Intercultural, and Community Engagement), the groups and departments formed a campus-wide Women’s History Month Committee that worked collectively to present the Stony Brook’s first Women’s History Month Opening Program, with the theme: Women’s Voices: From Empowerment to Action. The program featured a powerful panel of Stony Brook faculty and alumni who spoke about the importance of women’s voices in society, the meaning of empowerment for women, and how to put empowerment into action. The program was well-received and set the stage for future campus events during Women’s History Month.

Today’s WHM Committee is committed to ensuring that Women’s History Month is integrated into Stony Brook University life in March and throughout the year. Women’s History Month is destined to be a campus tradition that celebrates diversity, fosters cultural learning, and promotes inclusion and equity for all members of the university community.

Stony Brook University's theme for Women's History Month 2024 is Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. To reflect on this theme, the month's events will highlight women who have impacted change in their communities and beyond.

Over the years, Stony Brook University has celebrated Women’s History Month with an expanded, engaging calendar of events that included academic, cultural, research, arts history and a robust list of significant activities that have honored women of the past, contemporary heroines, and the overall commitment to praise and honor women’s history.

Helpful resources:

National Women's History Alliance
https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/2024-whm-theme/

United Nations – International Women’s Day – 8 March
https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day/background