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History shapes who we are today. As women, understanding our past can empower us to create positive change and blaze new trails moving forward. Though history has often overlooked women’s stories and contributions, embracing history allows us to learn from both the successes and mistakes of those who came before us. Delving into women’s untold narratives helps us understand the challenges women have faced through the centuries while highlighting the progress made. Knowledge of history plants seeds of wisdom so we can thoughtfully shape the future.

Why Learning Women’s Histories Matters

History books have largely focused on the deeds of prominent male leaders and innovators while ignoring the vital roles of women. Traditional accounts provide an incomplete picture as if half the population did not exist or make a difference. However, women have always been agents of change as mothers, warriors, scientists, activists, authors, and more. Their stories deserve to be told. When we unearth diverse women’s stories and perspectives, history comes alive. We gain empowering role models and a fuller understanding of societal attitudes and advancements.

How Our Shared Past Informs Our Present and Future

History does not exist in isolation. Our current realities have roots in previous generations. Modern women’s rights and opportunities stand on the shoulders of centuries of women advocates pushing for change against resistance. By learning about the restrictive norms and policies women have faced, such as being barred from education, voting, owning property, and working in various fields, we better appreciate the hard-won rights women have today. Gaining this context helps us understand lingering biases and inequalities. Our history is a living guidebook offering timeless lessons about human resiliency, courage, and imagination in the face of adversity. Heeding its wisdom allows us to make progress.

Here are some ideas to more deeply explore and engage with women’s history.

Travel

Visit historic sites and museums highlighting women’s untold stories. Immerse yourself in exhibits about the lives of pioneering women who broke barriers.

Take a trip focused on history such as a tour of key suffrage movement sites. Traveling to historic places lets you walk in the footsteps of those who came before you. For example, a Band of Brothers tour in Normandy can help you vividly understand what happened during the D-Day landings and World War II through guides sharing firsthand stories and exploring sites like Pointe du Hoc.

Other Ideas

  • Read biographies about influential women throughout time and diverse cultures. Make your reading list more inclusive.
  • Research women ancestors in your family tree. Discover their stories and the times they lived in.
  • Connect with women in your community who lived through important historical events and are sources of living history. Record their stories.
  • Support projects that highlight lost women’s histories, such as efforts to memorialize victims of the witch hunts.
  • Get involved with organizations preserving women’s history. Volunteer at a museum or donate to digitization projects, making records available online.

By taking an active interest in women’s untold stories, we can gain empowerment along with a richer view of history. When women’s narratives are woven into the tapestry of the past, we can better understand who we are and where we are heading