For the past 54 years, March has served as National Women’s History Month – a month of celebration and reflection over the saga and struggle of female empowerment. By raising awareness of the many stories that have shaped the women’s rights movement, we can all come together and look toward a brighter future of equality regardless of gender. This spirit is evident at Lambert High School, where students and teachers alike are doing their part in making a difference in empowering young women this March.
Looking back 100 years shows how we are not far removed from the presence of significant inequalities. Teachers like Ms. Lang recounted seeing significant change from when she was growing up compared to today.
“I’m not that far removed from women who couldn’t have their own bank accounts [(up until 1974)] – my mother couldn’t have a bank account until not that long before I was born,” Ms. Lang explained. “I try to use it as a time to be thankful that we are where we are now.”
Ms. Lang carries forward this gratitude through her efforts as Lambert’s cheer coach. As a predominantly female sport, it is often overlooked as “soft” or as a side activity during football games, though in reality, it requires immense dedication and hard work to succeed at all levels of the sport, competitive level and beyond. Ms. Lang stressed this and described how she empowers her students to believe they can accomplish anything.
“I always want to encourage the cheerleaders, the girls on my team that they can do, you know, whatever they want, and that they’re actually very good at their sport, and their sport is very hard,” Ms. Lang remarked.
Society has come a long way since the early eras of the women’s rights movement, and since then, numerous waves of female leaders have stepped up and paved the way for change and advancement. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), a field where women have been historically underrepresented, has seen huge changes since its founding in 2017. Lambert junior Reya Tk is the president of Lambert’s Women in STEM club, and through her leadership, the club has carried forward this very banner of change that we celebrate this March.
“Women’s History Month gives me role models to look up to and emulate, in a way, and it helps remind me of the work I’m doing to carry that forward,” Tk said. “By creating a space through my club to have that happen, I’m paying tribute to what came before and also working towards the future [(promoting STEM opportunities and learning for )].”
As we come forth this March to celebrate the women in leadership positions, it’s important to remember the strides that were made and are continuing to be made. What started with “Women’s History Week” altered the course of celebrating women and their accomplishments within just a matter of years. As the community comes together to celebrate this month for women’s contributions and achievements, it is important to not only revere the past but to acknowledge the efforts of the present in empowering the voices of women.
