Amidst ongoing backlash, UC Davis community affirms importance of month-long observance
By LAILA AZHAR — features@theaggie.org
In 1978, a school district in Sonoma, California organized a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to history, including presentations in schools and a parade. This celebration took place during the week of March 8, in order to coincide with International Women’s Day, a holiday originating from the Socialist Party of America.
The idea soon caught on with school districts and communities across the country, and in 1980, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the week of March 8 “National Women’s History Week.” A few years later, after advocacy by the National Women’s History Project, the United States Congress expanded this to “Women’s History Month.”
Recently, an executive order under the Trump administration called for an end to federal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. In response, the Defense Department’s intelligence agency paused observances such as Women’s History Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month. Additionally, Google Calendar faced controversy for no longer displaying such observances.
Amidst the cultural backlash to events such as Women’s History Month, some argue that it’s more important than ever to highlight the histories of marginalized communities.
For Cuahtemoc Martinez Marquez, a second-year international relations and psychology double major, events such as Women’s History Month highlight history that is often excluded in the mainstream.
“Even though women make up half the population, people still view men as being the ‘default,’” Marquez said. “That gets reflected in the way people talk about history. History relating to men is just history, while history relating to women is ‘women’s’ history. Women’s History Month is a good reminder to learn about the history that often gets overlooked.”
This sentiment was echoed by Karen Gettelman, a Ph.D. candidate at UC Davis, who teaches courses including HIS 072B: Women & Gender in America.
“When I teach regular history, I’ll have one student out of every hundred who writes on my review, ‘Well it’s supposed to be about history and she just talked about gender and race,’ Gettelman said. “But that’s history.”
In recent quarters, she said that students in her classes have resonated with discussions about the 14th Amendment, especially as it relates to Dobbs versus Jackson, the Supreme Court case that overturned Roe versus Wade.
“During my lecture, I went through all the parts of the 14th Amendment and said [Dobbs] isn’t just about this one specific issue, it’s about pushing back against the Constitution,” Gettelman said. “It will go from abortion to marriage, and I bring up Loving [versus Virginia] — and I’m really shocked by how many of my students don’t realize that interracial marriage was illegal.”
Her classes highlight the role everyday women have played in shaping history.
“Women have been active in labor movements since there’s been labor,” Gettelman said, particularly noting the strikes by Black washerwomen in the South following the Civil War. “There’s not often a lot of talk about ordinary women, and yet they’re often the impetus for change. It’s just easier to remember the person who’s in the lead.”
Ella Fodor, a second-year wildlife, fish and conservation biology major, said learning about women’s history can help students navigate current events.
“Understanding historic precedent can help you see the misogyny that underlies a lot of things, whether that be online discourse or federal policy,” Fodor said. “But it can also give you hope and inspiration to see how women of the past have resisted these systems for years and years before us.”
Women’s History Month remains a crucial reminder of the often-overlooked contributions of women throughout history. As discussions around diversity and inclusion face scrutiny, students and scholars emphasize the importance of challenging exclusionary narratives and advocating for a more comprehensive understanding of history.
Written by: Laila Azhar — features@theaggie.org
