Des Moines Area Community College has the distinction of enrolling the most culturally diverse student population in the Iowa higher education system. Our responsibility to our students, and to the staff and faculty that serve them, is articulated in the diversity vision statement:
DMACC will create a culture in which all people are valued and supported, and will celebrate the similarities and differences among us. In doing so, we will prepare the DMACC community to live, to learn, and to work together in a global society.
Women’s History Month
Since March 8, 1911, there has been a global observation to celebrate the economic, social, and political achievements of women called International Women’s Day. Many other countries observe this celebration. The United Nations has sponsored this day since 1975 and upon adoption cited the reason for the day was “[t]o recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and the fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality, and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security” (https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month).
In the United States, Women’s History Month was created to honor and celebrate the myriad of contributions made by women throughout the history of this nation. Women’s History Month originally started as a week-long celebration created by the school district of Sonoma, California in 1978 as a way to recognize the many ways that women have contributed to United States society and culture through presentations, essay contests, and a community parade. Within a few years, the celebration was replicated in other parts of the country and President Jimmy Carter in 1980 issued the first presidential proclamation declaring National Women’s History Week (the week of March 8th). Congress passed a resolution in 1981 establishing a national celebration and six years later Congress expanded the week-long celebration to a month-long celebration (1987) due to the efforts of the National Women’s History Project’s petitioning.
The theme for this year’s National Women’s History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” which recognizes “women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media.” Each year’s theme is set by the
National Women’s History Alliance.
DMACC District Events
The Diversity Commission is excited to host a FREE documentary viewing of Invisible Warriors: African American Women In World War II on Tuesday, March 21st from 11:00a – 1:00p. To watch this documentary, please join the free viewing party at your campus (there will be an event happening on every campus across the district)! After the documentary, there will be an opportunity to ask questions with the film maker, Gregory Cooke.
March 21st: 'Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II' Viewing Party at Ankeny Campus - DMACC Daily.
DMACC Library Women’s History Month Free Resources “Read, Watch, Listen”
Here is the link for this month’s “Read, Watch, Listen” Women’s History Month resourcing (click on the image to get the link for the resource from DMACC’s library system): Women's History Month RWL 2023.pdf Thank you to DMACC’s outstanding library team!
In-Person Women’s History Month Events and Opportunities in Iowa
March 5th, 1:00 p.m. Virtual Event through Waukee Public Library on “The Journey of Mollie’s War: WACs and WWII”
- This is an online event hosted by the Waukee Public Library. Members of the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) were the first women other than nurses to serve overseas in World War II. Presenter Cyndee Schaffer’s mother, Mollie Weinstein Schaffer, was one of them. Drawing upon excerpts from Mollie’s letters written home during the war, this live Zoom presentation provides a glimpse into the life of a woman in uniform during this crucial time in history. Learn about Mollie’s experiences from basic training in Florida in October 1943 to the dramatic moment when the Statue of Liberty came into view upon her return in November 1945. Registration is required.
https://waukeepubliclibrary.org/events/journey-mollies-war-wacs-and-wwii-online
March 8th (10:00-3:00 p.m., The Hall DSM, 111 South 11th St., WDSM) 4th Annual Period Packing Party in Honor of International Women’s Day
March 6-11th (Forest Avenue Library) and March 6-18th (South Side Library) Women’s History Month Scavenger Hunts
Visit the “Plaza of Heroines” on Iowa State University’s Campus
- The Plaza of Heroines is a mosaic of bricks and granite pavers that create the entry to the Carrie Chapman Catt Hall on ISU’s central campus. There is a large granite paving stone honoring Carrie Chapman Catt, who was a leader of the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an international peace and women’s rights advocate globally who was also an alum of ISU’s class of 1880. There are smaller granite pavers and bricks surrounding the main stone that honor and celebrate the impact of over 4,000 women leaders.
Visit the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge in Principal Riverwalk (just south of I-235 in downtown Des Moines).
- The Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge links the east and west ends of Des Moines at the northern edge of Principal Riverwalk loop. There are two separate pathways—one for cyclists and one for walkers. The bridge honors the achievements of Iowa women who have made indelible impacts to advance the well-being of others throughout the world.
https://www.catchdesmoines.com/listing/iowa-women-of-achievement-bridge/7731/
Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame:
- The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women (ICSW) established the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1975. Each year the ICSW and the Governor welcome four women into the Hall of Fame, paying tribute to them and setting them forth as role models for others.
- As of 2021, 188 women will have been inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame and 33 individuals will have been awarded the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice. Each year, the commission approves the induction of four women into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice by a committee composed of three commissioners, the chair of the commission (ex-officio) and two public members. The selection committee reviews all of the submitted nominations and selects the individuals to be inducted. The commission then reviews and votes to approve the suggested nominees to be inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame.
https://humanrights.iowa.gov/icsw/iowa-womens-hall-fame
Iowa PBS: Watch “Carrie Chapman Catt: Warrior for Women” documentary
Women’s History Month National Resources and Learning Opportunities
Free Women’s History Month online educational resources through The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history:
White House Proclamation 2023 on Women’s History Month
National Women’s History Alliance Resources
National Women’s History Museum
History.com Women’s History Month Resources
Time Magazine’s Women of the Year 2023
