The month of March is widely known as International Women’s History Month. There are so many strong and powerful women in our world who have made a great impact on our environment today. Many of their stories are sadly lost, but we should still make sure to recognize all of the astonishing things women have done in history.
Some background information on Women's History Month:
In 1987, the U.S Congress appointed the month of March to be Women's History Month. It emphasizes the achievements of women throughout history. In the 1900s, women protested and marched for their rights, but nothing ever changed. Finally, in 1911, March 19 was chosen as International Women’s Day. Eventually, the date was changed to March 8 in 1921. Other countries also started recognizing and celebrating similar month-long events as well. Canada started Women's History Month in 1992 in October - though we celebrate it in March. In the year 2000, Australia also held its own Women’s History Month.
Bobbie Rosenfeld was born in 1904 in Russia - her family relocated to Canada when she was a small child. As a teenager, she played on a softball team. She was known best for her speed. During a game, her friends persuaded her to run a 100-yard race. She competed and walked away with her first sports medal. From her victory, she became the Canadian national champion. After the win, she began a track career, and by the year 1920, she was a top Canadian sprinter. 1928 was the first year women were allowed to compete in the Olympics, yet doctors didn’t believe the female body could handle the physical strain of the events, and women competing was meant to be a trial. They wanted to cancel the test, but the women wanted to prove they were meant to be at the Olympics, and by the end, Bobbie left with a gold medal around her neck (also a silver). But no matter the victory - the top three finishers in the race set record-breaking times - the Olympic committee banned women from competing in the 400m race for 32 years. Bobbie still continued her successful career, but in 1929, she began to suffer from painful arthritis. She was able to come back in the early ’30s and was named “most outstanding player” on her softball team. But sadly, in 1933, her arthritis came back and she had to retire from sports for good. She did write for the Toronto newspaper Globe & Mail for the “Sports Reel” column. She died in 1969 with a great legacy to her name.
When Aileen Riggin was 11, the year was 1917. She was recovering from the flu and her doctor recommended swimming to help with her strength. Diving became her new favorite activity. However, back in the early 1900s, people believed girls should not dive because it was too dangerous. Most pools wouldn't let Aileen practice, so she had to find a new way to train. She practiced at an outdoor tidal pool. When the conditions were acceptable, the water was 10 feet below the diving board, just like a normal pool - and practice she did. In 1919 at the age of 14, she trained for the U.S. Olympic trials in the same tidal pool and made it onto the U.S. Olympic diving and swim teams! When the time came to compete, the conditions at the Games weren’t great, and the pools were filled with mud. But no matter the circumstance, Aileen left with a gold medal! She also won in multiple events again at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. Aileen made movies and went on to become a sportswriter, but she never stopped swimming! At the age of 85, she broke six world records for her age group at the World Masters Swimming Championships. She still continued to swim into her 90’s and was named the oldest living Olympic medalist!
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was a one-woman track and field team - she made a legacy for herself as a golfer, and was widely known as a talented basketball player. Born in 1911, growing up in Texas, she was one of 11 children. In high school, she was great at every sport! The Employers Casualty Insurance Company of Dallas gave her a job as a secretary just so she could play on their amateur women’s basketball team, the Golden Cyclones. Soon, she became a star. The company then signed Babe up as a one-woman track team during the qualifier for the Olympics at the Amateur Athletic Union Championship. Most of all, the teams had multiple athletes competing in different events, but Babe made her rounds, and was awarded 1st place in 5 events and tied for first in the high jump! She set records, and the media most certainly knew her name, as they loved to interview her. She was successful throughout her life, and was able to support her family through the Depression. But in 1953, Babe was diagnosed with cancer. She continued to work hard, continuing her streak of wins. She died at the age of 45, but her name still lives on in the world of sports.
Mary Shelly was born on August 30, 1797, as the second daughter to her father, a philosopher in the United Kingdom. Her mother died when she was only a baby and she was raised by her father. When her father married an unkind woman she would often retreat to her large library in her estate. Mary missed having a mother tremendously and would pick a different book each day to read aside her mother's grave. Being away from home and outside made her feel a little happier. Later on, Mary met a young poet by the name of Percy. Their first date was beside her mother’s grave. Their love only grew stronger and soon they ran away to Paris to be together. They met more talented artists and writers who they stayed in close contact with. In one of their meetings in a large estate that belonged to their friend, they decided to do a competition of who could write the scariest story overnight. Mary decided to write a story about a mad scientist who constructed a monster out of dead tissue. She titled this story Frankenstein and soon had it published. Mary died on February 1, 1851. Though the original story has been altered and added to it was all originally thought up by Mary, and even today we know the famous story of Doctor Frankenstein and his monster through movies and books.
Matilde Montoya was born on March 14 1859 in Mexico. She was a very smart child and could read and write at the age of four. When she turned 16 she decided to become a midwife but she had her heart set on being a doctor. Soon she decided to become an actual doctor and joined the National School of Medicine. She was the only girl in the whole university, and many people there told her she could never become a doctor, but her mother and friends kept her on her path. Later on in the year the university tried to expel her because she was a girl. Matilde decided to write a letter to the president asking for help. The President told the university to let Matilde study and to stop questioning her. When the university refused to let her take her final test she wrote to the President expressing her concern. The President finally passed a law that allowed all women to study and become doctors.
Irena Sendlerowa was born in Poland on February 15, 1910. Her father, a physician died and Irena and her mother were left alone. Irena’s father believed in helping people no matter their ethnicity. Irena decided to hang on to what her father believed and tried to help. When World War Two started she helped save Jewish children who were being followed by the Nazis. She hid them in whatever she could find - barrels, coffins, hampers and more. She gave them Christian names and relocated them to Christian families who could protect them until the war was over. To remember what their actual names were she wrote them down on little pieces of paper, put them in jars, and buried them in the ground. This was a big deal because if found guilty for helping Jews you would be executed. The Nazis guessed what she was up to and tried to find the list of names but they could not. Irena saved more that 2,500 children and when the war ended even reunited some of them with their parents. Irena died on May 12, 2008, in Poland but we celebrate her acts even today. Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 but lost to Al Gore who was the vice president for Bill Clinton.
These are only a few of the many talented women out there, and the month isn’t over yet! You can still read about some of the magical young women and girls who have made a great difference in our world. Most of the facts came from Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls books 1 and 2 and Women in Sports. These are credible resources if you want to learn more about the talented women and girls that have made a difference.
Works Cited
"National Women's History Month." Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Sept. 2019, school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/National-Womens-History-Month/609270. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.
Books 1 & 2 of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo.
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