By Alex Gibson

What do you think of when the month of March is mentioned? Maybe March Madness? St. Patrick’s Day? Well, regardless of your initial thought, March is Women’s History Month.

How does one celebrate Women’s History Month? Should it even be celebrated? Dihandra Williams, a High Point University senior, has an interesting take.

“I think a great way to celebrate Women’s History Month is to support them in any way that you can,” Williams said. “In today’s age, more and more women are taking on different endeavors and starting their own businesses. Supporting a woman’s business could mean buying something from their brand/company or simply reporting their work on social media.”

Since 1987, Women’s History Month has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States. Women have been trailblazing for quite some time, from Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart to Rosa Parks.

While strides have been made in the equality department, women still face numerous hurdles.

“I think some of the biggest challenges that women face today include sexism and gender biases, the widening pay gap and a lack of childcare and caregiving support,” Williams said. “My hope is that in the next 20 years we’ll have more women in leadership positions that can properly advocate for our needs and basic human rights. I believe that men should not be making decisions about issues that predominantly affect us and not them.”

Mikayla Smith, another HPU senior, has similar opinions.

“The biggest challenge women face is the right to our bodies,” Smith said. “Places like Texas are stripping women’s rights in front of our eyes and no one is saying anything about it.”

While Women’s History Month seems to be a good idea, a question still remains: Is a special month needed to celebrate women and is one month enough?

“It’s nice to have a month that’s dedicated to celebrating women and our many contributions to society, but I believe that this is something that should be celebrated all the time, not just in March,” said Williams.

Although women should be celebrated year-round, people can especially use the month of March to reflect on the achievements and contributions of women.

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Alex Gibson is a senior at High Point University majoring in Journalism and minoring in Athletic Coaching. For contact inquiries, please email agibson2@highpoint.edu.