Women's History Month Book Recommendations
- Caroline Baughman
- Mar 21, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 3, 2023
March is women’s history month and today I am creating a blog based on books I recommend for this amazing celebration. There are several categories below but this is by no means an exhaustive list. I am going to add a bit about these cultures in references to my country (the USA) and our history specifically. I have extra book lists and account I follow below some of the lists as well. Let's start off with some books that incorporate women from around the world in several genres.
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Women in Sports
Society has come a long way in terms of women in sports, but we still have a way to go. It used to be frowned upon for women to play sports (and still is in some cultures/areas) due to their fragile bodies and even deemed detrimental to fertility. Today, women all over the world dominate sports including soccer, track, fencing, gymnastics, swimming, snowboarding, tennis, dance, and beyond. The future of sports is wide open as more girls and women make careers about their passion.
Women in Science
While we hear mostly about the men who create the world, women have been there working behind the scenes or having their research stolen for thousands of years. One of the oldest records of a woman working in science was Athyrta, an Egyptian princess during the Middle Kingdom (about 2000–1700 BCE) working on astronomy and natural philosophy. Today women are more prevalent in STEM careers and girls are being supported to follow their dreams. As with every other area of study or topic, we still have a way to go but overall, we are making strides towards acceptance, credibility, acknowledgement, and accreditation.
Women in Art
Women have taken part in art as creators, innovators, collectors, inspiration, contributors etc.. Their struggles and oppression throughout time has resulted in loud and bold voices making themselves known in so many ways from acting, painting, sculpting, cooking, music, writing, photography, dancing, architecture etc..
Black Women
It is so important to me that our collection be diverse. In the USA women have suffered and faced unimaginable things, but none more than BIPOC women. Black women have always been on the forefront of fighting for equality. Their contributions are overlooked in both the Civil Rights and Women’s Movements. Their power, resilience, and courage cannot be overstated in this, nor can their voices and influence be silenced.
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Hispanic Women
Hispanic women also face discrimination and injustice throughout USA history. They too have been marginalized and left out of the majority of civil and women's rights history. They have their own story tell with amazing bold women that fought against oppression, discrimination, and stereotypes to bring their culture and voice to the world.
Asian Women
Asia is a vast and multiculture continent. In this instance the books I am posting are from southeast, east, and middle east Asia. Let me preface this by saying there are not nearly enough books about the history of women in this category. I found plenty that celebrated the culture, talked about fictional characters, or shared stories, myths, and legends. However, there are so few about real life women, especially books for children. I found some wonderful resources that I'll leave below if you are looking for more generalized books about various Asian cultures.
Asianlitforkids on Instagram
Maistorybooklibrary on Instagram
Indigenous Women
This was also a difficult list to curate, there aren't enough books for indigenous cultures around the globe.
That's it for now!
Please keep in mind that while we have so many stories being told there are many others erased, forgotten, suppressed, unrepresented, misrepresented, and stolen. It's important that while we aim to move forward and continue to demand equality and recognition, we still need to acknowledge past injustices and make right what we can. Women are continuously making strides everywhere in the world, supported by the past and rising to our future, but only if we continue to make progress for the right reasons and raise voices that cause reflection and real change.
I hope you found books that you can share with your child/ren, class, and/or kids in your life. We are reading several this month with our 4 year old and throughout the entire year. Let me know what your favorites are and leave some I can add to my list!
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