Women's History Month is a celebration of women's contributions to history, culture, and society. It has been observed throughout the month of March since 1987.
It is a month where we can reflect on the often overlooked contributions women have made to global history. As part of our celebrations we are thinking about how we can acknowledge the achievements of women in our own organization, as well as thinking more broadly. We have created a framework that is designed to help everyone get involved.
There are many things that we can do to celebrate Women's History Month: at Arm, our focus is to recognize women's contributions, both today and historically. Many contributions are overlooked, and have been hidden for years. So, we encourage you to share what you might discover and uplift the women in your life who have helped you, guided you, shaped who you are today through the following framework.
If you do one thing today, say thank you. One of the simplest ways to celebrate women’s history month is to thank the women in your life who have inspired you. Whether it is a homemade card sent to friends you have only seen virtually, or, celebrating the women in your life who have helped you become who you are wonderful ways to celebrate the month. Men and women alike - most of us have some women to thank.
If you do one thing this week, try out a Podcast. They are a great way to hear conversations about an array of topics you might not ordinarily come into contact with. They provide an informal commentary of the world around us. While women make up about half of podcast listeners, headlines at the end of 2020 reported that only 21% of top charting shows have a female host.
If you do one thing this month, read a book. Books are an important influencer for how we think about our society and culture now, and how we will reflect on it in the future. So, it is important that authors represent diverse perspectives, offering a full-picture commentary on how the world works. Over 80% of the most popular novels were written by men. Of course, the exclusion of women historically in the industry certainly influences this dominance. In this space, women have made a lot of progress in recent decades. The NYTimes bestseller list is one way of tracking disparities in literature. In 30 years, female authors went from accounting for 25% of books on the best seller list to about 48%. The power of storytelling transcends language and borders. This month, celebrate literary works by women who encourage you to step out of your comfort zone or guide you as you dive deeper into your interests.
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress, once called the most beautiful woman in the world. She was also an inventor who pioneered the technology that would one day form the basis for today's WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems.
Whatever you choose to do or however you choose to celebrate, start each day with the thought, 'If I do one thing today...' and recognize and uplift the women in our lives and recognize women's contribution to all our lives.