REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Proclamation of March 2026 as Women's History Month
Report
BACKGROUND
The origins of Women's History Month dates back to 1978 in Santa Rosa, California. Sonoma County's Commission on the Status of Women planned a Women's History Week on the week of March 8, 1978, to correspond with International Women's Day.
The event inspired groups to lobby for the annual National Women's History Week. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980, as National Women's History Week. In the same year, the United States Congress passed a resolution to recognize the week. In 1987, after having been petitioned to expand the week to an entire month, Congress passed Public Law 100-9 designating March of 1987 as the first Women's History Month.
The month also features International Women's Day on March 8, when marches and events around the world will celebrate and advocate gender equality.
The 2026 Women's History Month theme is "Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future." This theme honors women who are driving sustainable transformation across environmental, economic, and social sectors, creating a more equitable future
DISCUSSION
At the March 10, 2026, City Council meeting, the City Council will proclaim Women's History Month in Santa Clara to recognize and honor women, past and present, who have been influential in communities and encourage women to continue to tell their stories.
Gabrielle Pitre, a 2024-25 Hackworth Fellow from Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics will be present to receive the proclamation.
As a Hackworth Fellow, Gabrielle conducted research on the role of the Catholic Church in the institution of American slavery and how Black Catholics such as her own family reconcile this complicated history. Through this research fellowship, Gabrielle has continued to grow her knowledge of how ethics plays a role in the po...
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