In the United States, Women’s History Month traces its beginnings back to the first International Women’s Day in 1911. The 2017 theme for National Women’s History Month honors women who have successfully challenged the role of women in both business and the labor force.

There are many women throughout our nation’s history from various races who worked for equality for women and minorities. March is the month to recognize and show appreciation for everything the women of the world did for us. They succeeded in expanding women’s participation in commerce and their power in the paid labor force.

Addie L. Wyatt

Addie L. Wyatt was an African-American woman that made important contributions that helped open the way for redefining women’s roles within the general labor movement.In the 1960s, Wyatt served as director of the Women’s Affairs and Human Rights departments for the UPWA. Wyatt also became director of the Women’s Affairs and Human Rights departments in the Amalgamated Meat Cutters. Her successful leadership of that department led Eleanor Roosevelt to appoint her to serve on the Labor Legislation Committee of the Commission on the Status of Women in the early 1960s. In 1984, Wyatt retired as Vice President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. Her honors include being named one of Time Magazine’s Women of the Year in 1975; and one of Ebony Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Black Americans from 1980 to 1984.

Norma Yaeger

Yeager was the first woman stockbroker to be permitted on the floor
of the New York Stock Exchange. Yaeger started the registration of the state’s first Money Market Mutual Fund, The Liquidity Fund. In 1981, Yaeger opened her own brokerage firm, Yaeger Securities. She opened a second firm in 1991, Yaeger Capital Markets, to service government pension plans.

Rebecca Anderson

Rebecca Anderson and a team of North Carolinians created HandMade in America. Handmade Small Town Revitaliza­tion Programs includes 13 towns with populations under 1,000, and over 12 years achieved 177 facades restored; 212 buildings renovated; 1,350 jobs created; 349 new busi­nesses; 83 business expansions; $9 million public money invested; $43 million private money invested; and 183,713 total volunteer hours provided in towns with no town managers or town planners. Prior to founding Handmade, Becky Anderson was also Director of Community Development, Land of Sky Regional Planning Council, served as Director of Economic Development for the Nashville, North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and as Director of Economic Development for the city of Nashville.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama was the former first lady of the United States and the first black
first lady. She had the most accomplishments in her positions in the white house. Michelle has willingly taken on some of the most controversial issues in American history and worked towards solving them. One of her first accomplishments in office was in 2010, she launched Let’s Move! Bringing together community leaders, educators, medical professionals, and parents to defeat childhood obesity. One of her last contributions to the social issues of society today was in 2015. Michelle Obama joined President Obama to launch Let Girls Learn. This movement was a U.S government to help girls around the world go and stay in school. Including her wonderful work in office Michelle was also the first first lady who attended an IVY league school, she graduated from Princeton University and Harvard university.

Women’s history month is important because recognizing the achievements of women in all facets of life – science, community, government, literature, art, sports, medicine – has a huge impact on the development of self-respect and new opportunities for girls and young women. Celebrations of Women’s History Month as a way to promote equality among the sexes in the classroom. These three women are a few out of a million women who fight for the betterment of women around the world.